


The Last Life of Us is Strange (being edited)

by Nothing_You_Can_Prove



Series: Crossovers [4]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game), The Last of Us
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Audio also included - work in progress, Character Death, Crossover, F/F, Fluff and Angst, I Made Myself Cry, Minor Character Death, Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), Romance, Sexual Content, The Last of Us AU, What Have I Done, amberprice, chasefield, marshfield, pricefield, pricefield is the main ship, wardson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-23
Updated: 2016-04-02
Packaged: 2018-05-03 02:35:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 74,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5273312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nothing_You_Can_Prove/pseuds/Nothing_You_Can_Prove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Her once perfect life is about to come crashing down around her.<br/>She will lose the people she cares for.<br/>She will harden in an attempt to shield herself from the pain.<br/>She will seal off her heart to combat the cruel hand that life has dealt her.<br/>Will she ever be able to have the courage to risk it all and give her heart away again?<br/>Maybe it will take someone who has lost as much as she has to help her learn.<br/>(LIS characters in TLOU universe)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It's Time (E)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. I am so excited to announce this story. I love The Last of Us and Life is Strange. There will be quite a few ships in here, not all of them are going to last very long. Pricefield is the main ship. This isn’t going to follow TLOU completely faithfully, however I have kept the main ideas.
> 
> If anyone is affected by any of the issues raised in this story at any point or just in general, feel free to contact me either on here or Tumblr (nothing-you-can-prove) at any time. 
> 
> Enjoy

[ ](http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/Nothing_You_Can_Prove/media/IMG_20151207_210729_194-1%202_zpswy68ebwd.jpg.html)

 

**Chapter One: It’s Time**

**Kate’s POV – Max and Kate’s House**

The front door creaks open, waking me from my slumber. My bleary eyes open a fraction and as my vision comes into focus, I realize that I have fallen asleep on the couch. I have no idea what the time is, but sleep soon overwhelms me again and I rest my head back on the small pillow.

As my hazel eyes close again, I can hear the familiar muffled voice of Max Caulfield from behind the door leading into the lounge where I am sleeping, “…ok… Warren… look… we’ll talk…” there is a slight pause as the door shuts almost soundlessly and her voice reduces almost to a whisper as she steps into the room, “…we’ll talk about it in the morning… alright goodnight.”

I hear shuffling and feel something being placed on me that I assume to be a blanket.

_Max is so considerate._

Unable to get back to sleep now I know Max is home, I slowly open my eyes and lift my head up off the pillow, “Max?”

She rubs her neck awkwardly, “Hey, Kate,” she walks up to me and pecks me on the cheek, “Sorry. Did I wake you up?”

I rub at my eyes and stretch out on the couch, “Kind of, not that I mind.”

Max smiles at me warmly, “Would you mind budging up?”

I move my head up and Max slumps onto the couch beside me, looking completely exhausted. I place my head back down onto her lap and she absentmindedly strokes my hair, “Fun day?”

She sighs deeply, running her free hand through her hair “You could say that. Warren can be so fuc-” she cuts herself off quickly and clears her throat, “I mean, so damn persistent.”

My lip quirks up into a small smile at her restraint on my behalf and snuggle up closer to her, “How so?”

She scoffs, “You know exactly how. I thought he would have got the hint by now. I mean…” she glances down at me and smiles, “Could we make it any more obvious?”

_I had wondered why Max suddenly becomes so affectionate when Warren is around. Usually, she is so embarrassed with PDA. When we are alone, she is fine with everything, but as soon as other people are around, she gets really shy, not that I mind. I like being the only person to see this side of her. I guess she is trying to make a point._

“Did you tell him?”

Max sighs again tiredly, “I literally tell him every day. He never listens. Maybe he’ll get it eventually,” a confused expression crosses her face and she raises one of her eyebrows, “I’m surprised you’re still up. It’s late?”

_I wasn’t even paying attention to the time. Shoot._

“What time is it?” I sit up abruptly and turn back to look at the clock on the wall. I squint to make out the time, 11:50 pm.

_I still have time. Good._

“Don’t you have a really early start tomorrow?” she asks, knowing I rarely stay up after 12 am, even if I don’t have anything on the next day.

I smile coyly at her as I reach over to open a drawer in the table next to the couch and begin feeling around, “It’s going to be worth it. Trust me.”

_Where did it go? Aha!_

Max slumps further into the couch as I search around. She exhales and rubs her temples, “Can we leave it until tomorrow? I’m pretty tired right now.” 

“Oh no Max, you aren’t getting away that easily.”

I finally locate the item I was looking for, a small box, and pass it over to her. I sit there expectantly as she takes the box and turns it over in her hands, “What’s this?”

I laugh at her curiosity and gently nudge her on the shoulder, “It’s your present silly. Open it.”

Max looks up from the box and beams at me, “You didn’t have to stay up for that. It could have waited.”

“I wanted too.”

She opens the box and inspects the small silver watch inside.

“You kept complaining about your broken watch,” I comment as she takes the watch out of the box, “I thought you would like a new one.”

Max turns the watch over in her hands then puts it on her wrist, a small smile spreading on her face as she inspects it.

“So, do you like it?” I ask, eager to hear her response.

She turns to me, “Kate, it’s…” her face suddenly drops and her smile slowly fades to a frown, “I think…” she holds the watch to her ear and her brow furrows, “I think it’s stuck.”

I grab her arm and lean in to check the watch, “No, that can’t be, that-” my words are cut off as Max steals a kiss. The action takes me by surprise and I stare at Max for a moment, who grins cheekily back at me. The watch appears to be working just fine.

_I should have known._

I shake my head and smile, “Very smooth, Max.”

Her grin widens, “Sorry, I couldn’t help it. You’re just too damn cute, Marsh.”

I roll my eyes at her and turn my back on her in mock annoyance with my arms crossed, struggling hard to suppress the smile threatening to creep onto my face at her dorkiness.

_It’s like a game with Max and I._

I glance back at Max and she smiles apologetically, “Come on Kate don’t pout. I couldn’t miss an opportunity like that. I’ll make it up to you later, promise.”

Unable to maintain my act, I turn back around and shuffle closer to her once more, placing my head on her shoulder “I suppose I can find it within myself to forgive you”

She places an arm around me as she inspects her watch, “I really like it. Thank you,” she looks at me with mild curiosity, “Where did you get the money for this?”

I offer her a toothy grin, “Drugs. I sell hard core drugs.”

Her lip quirks upwards in amusement, “Well, I’ll be expecting to get a lot more presents from you then.”

I gently push Max, “You wish.”

She rests her forehead against mine, gazing deeply into my eyes, “I don’t need any other gift than you.”

I playfully roll my eyes at her, “That was so bad, Max.”

Max squeezes me, “You love it really.”

“I do, don’t I?” I sigh.

She smirks at me smugly, “Yep.”

I cover my mouth with my hand as I yawn, causing Max to chuckle. She puts her hand on my head and gently ruffles my hair, an action I am too tired to protest against, “Oh dear, is my Marshmallow getting sleepy?”

“Maybe…”

Max helps me up off the couch, “Come on then. Off to bed. Don’t make me carry you.”

“Pfft, I’d like to see you try.”

Her blue eyes suddenly fill with mischief, “Is that a challenge, Marsh?”

Before I have the chance to say anything in response, Max scoops me up and carries me over to the stairs.

“Max!” I squeal, clutching on tight to her so I don’t fall to the floor.

She grins at me, “Let’s get going then.”

_She’s always the same, always surprising me._

“Are you sure I’m not too heavy?” I tentatively ask as I cling onto her.

“Did you really just ask that? Kate, there is literally nothing on you,” Max scoffs dismissively as she climbs the stairs with me in her arms. When she reaches the bedroom door, she stops and looks down at me, “Uh… little help? I’ve kind of got my hands full.”

I reach out and grab the handle, pulling the door open to let us in the room. Max stumbles over to the bed, “And down she goes,” she gently places me down on the bed and grins proudly at me, “So, how was that?”

I giggle at her dorky grin, “Impressive, Miss Caulfield.”

The mischievous twinkle in her eyes returns, one I have come to learn to fear, “Oh no, I know that look.”

Max smiles at me innocently, “I have no idea what you are referring to.”

_What has she got planned?_

She suddenly launches herself at me and starts tickling me mercilessly. I try to wriggle away from her, but fail miserably, “M-Max… s-stop…” she laughs as I squirm, “P-please…”

She relents momentarily with an almost evil smirk plastered onto her face, “Only if you promise to make breakfast tomorrow.”

_It seems Max will do anything to wrangle food._

“N-no way,” I stutter, “I shall not succumb to your powers of persuasion.”

She shrugs nonchalantly, “Fine then,” she moves down to my feet, which she knows full well is my most sensitive area.

“F-fine… I give up,” I reluctantly concede.

Max glances up at me with an amused look, trying hard not to laugh, “You sure?”

“Yes,” I sigh and she relents her attack. I lay there on my side, panting lightly as I catch my breath, “You are so evil, Max.”

She grins and crawls on the bed beside me, “In the pursuit of your famous waffles, my disregard for morals knows no bounds,” she reaches out for my hand as we lay there on the bed, intertwining our fingers.

_How did we even get here? Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy, happier than I have ever been in my entire life. Max came to me at a difficult time. She… she saved me. I knew then that we would have a strong bond no-one could break, even though they tried._

I look over her freckled face as she gazes at me, her blue doe-like eyes soft and loving.

_Can I pinpoint the day? The day that she started to look at me like that. When she thought I wasn’t looking, she’d always stare at me with this really weird expression I couldn’t work out._

She reaches out and twirls a stand of my blonde hair around her finger.

_Max visited me every day in hospital, picking times when she knew no-one would be around. My parents always asked about her. When I came back to Blackwell, she was amazing. We started to spend so much time together, we became inseparable. She helped me so much. I think that was when I started to notice the looks. I… I started think about Max, a lot. It scared me. I clamped down on everything, or at least tried to. Trying to ignore everything made it worse._

She shuffles closer and tenderly kisses my cheek, then out of nowhere blows a raspberry.

I move my head away from her, “Ew, Max. Really?”

She grins impishly at me and nuzzles into my neck, her lips brushing against my skin.

_I remember bringing her over to meet my parents. They wanted to meet the girl who helped me. It was a few months after I… after I was on the roof. I had planned everything out so well, or at least I thought I had._

_This was the day that changed the course of my life._

* * *

**Past – Outside the Marsh House**

Max and I make our way towards the small house I had lived in for most of my life. She seems a bit apprehensive about this, but she doesn’t falter as we climb up the steps to the front door. I tentatively reach out and knock on the door. After a few seconds, I hear shuffling and footsteps behind the door and then it opens, revealing dad standing in the hallway. As his kind eyes fall on Max he smiles, “So you must be Max.”

She plays with the bands on her wrist, her shoulders hunched over as she nervously mutters, “Y-yes sir.”

_I can tell she is worried about this whole situation. I told her she didn’t have to do this, but she said that she wanted to._

Dad’s eyes soften as he takes in her anxious body language and places a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “Don’t look so worried and please, call me Richard.”

The contact initially makes Max jump, but when she sizes up the situation, she sighs in relief, “O-ok, Richard.”

_Was she really that nervous? Dad’s fine, it’s Mom you want to be scared of._

Max glances over at me hesitantly, uncertainty in her expressive blue eyes. I reach out and touch her hand, offering her a gentle encouraging smile, “Let’s go.”

She returns my smile as I lead her by the hand into my house. Her hand is warm against mine, my fingertips brushing against small callouses on her fingers from playing the guitar. As we walk through the short hallway, she looks around curiously and takes everything in.

_Max is always keen to see what’s going on. Some may call it nosey, but she is just curious. She loves learning things about the people she cares about, something I have benefitted from on many occasions. It makes me feel happy that she actually wants to know things about me. It’s what saved me after all._

The house is fairly small, but big enough for us. Family pictures line the hallway and a small wooden crucifix is attached to the wall. Mom is obsessed with cleanliness, so there is not much around. A lone vase of red and blue flowers stands on a table brightening up the otherwise dull and dreary hallway. Dad put the flowers there as some sort of rebellion soon after I got out of hospital. Mom complained about the mess they made and she tried her hardest to remove them, but dad just put a new bunch there every time. His persistence was incredible and eventually she gave up. Dad always smiles when he walks past them.

We follow dad and turn into the first door on the left into the kitchen. He glances back over his shoulder at us, “I bet you guys are hungry.”

Max’s stomach grumbles on cue, causing her to blush, “Uh, y-you could say that.”

Dad laughs at her embarrassment, “I’ll rustle up something. Take a seat, girls.”

Max and I walk through to the adjoining dining room and sit down beside each other at the table while dad works on getting some food ready.

_It’s strange seeing Max here. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad. I just never thought this would happen._

Dad swivels his head around as he prepares, “So, Max, how’s Blackwell treating you?”

Max clears her throat and meets dad’s eyes, “Really well, s… uh, I mean Richard.”

“That’s goo-” his words were suddenly interrupted by a cheerful shout, “KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE!!!!!” I feel something grab me from behind.

_It can only be one person._

I turn my head back to see a young girl with long blonde hair and can’t help but grin at her eager expression, “Hey, Lynn,” it seems like she’s just come back from school. I stand up from my seat, pick her up and spin her around, much to her excitement and delighted squeals. I finally put her back down on the floor, “How was school?”

She looks up at me and grins, “It was great, but it’s better being home with you.”

_Lynn, you always know what to say to make me feel better._

My body fills with dread as mom walks in behind her. She glances over at Max, her eyes narrowing with suspicion and disapproval as per usual, “I assume you must be Max.”

Max rubs the back of her neck at mom’s icy glare, “Y-yes ma’am.”

Lynn looks over at Max, her face lighting up almost immediately, “Is that the Max you are always telling me about?”

I blush as Max laughs, “Lynn!”

Lynn’s eyes widen at me innocently, “Oops, was I not supposed to tell her that?” she turns to Max, “Forget I said that.”

Max catches my eye briefly before grins happily at Lynn, “I will.”

Mom looks disapprovingly at me and walks over to Dad, who gives her a small kiss on the cheek, “Hi, honey.”

_I feel like every move I make is being judged by her. It probably is._

Lynn walks over to Max and tugs at her sleeve, “Can I show you my drawings?”

Max beams at her, “Sure. I’d like that.”

She looks excited and eagerly rushes upstairs, making Max smile, “She’s cute.”

Dad chuckles heartily, “Oh, if you had to live with her you wouldn’t think so. She is a little terror.”

“I HEARD THAT DAD!” Lynn’s voice carries from upstairs.

He shouts in the direction of the stairs, “Sorry, sweetie.”

I hear heavy footsteps as Lynn rushes back into the room and sits next to Max, presenting her drawings with a huge grin, “Here.”

Max picks them up and inspects them, “These are so awesome,” she looks over to me and smiles, “You’re going to make a great artist, just like Kate.”

_She is doing that look again. She’s not even trying to hide it this time. That gentle look of… adoration? Is that it? Don’t be silly, Kate. What does that look mean, Max?_

I can feel Mom’s icy glare and it sends shudders up my spine.

_Am I doing anything wrong? Why does she keep staring? Calm down, Kate. It’s fine. She is always like this. Don’t let her ruin everything._

Lynn jumps up and down excitedly, “I want to be just like Kate.”

I gently ruffle her hair, “Well, if that’s the case, then we need to do something about your hair.”

She swipes at my hands and grumbles, “Hey. Get off.”

Dad beams at us then turns to me, “Katie, sweetie, can you go grab some glasses?”

“Sure thing, dad.”

I walk over to where the glasses are in the cupboard on the wall while Dad brings over some plates to the table.

Max gets up from her seat, “Can I help at all?”

_Just like Max, always ready to help._

“Well, now that you mention it, could you go into that drawer and grab some cutlery?” Dad asks as he motions over to the cupboard.

“Sure,” I hear footsteps and feel a sudden heat at my back as Max reaches around me to open the drawer. My cheeks heat up from her proximity.

_Get a grip, Kate._

I feel Max’s hand brush against mine and drop the glass in my hand. An ear-piercing smash fills the air and I crouch down to pick up the jagged shards when a hand is placed over mine, stopping me from touching them. When I glance up, I can see Max smiling back at me benevolently, “You’ll cut yourself. We wouldn’t want that now, would we?”

I shake my head, unable to even look at her now.

She laughs, her hand still on mine, “I thought I was supposed to be the clumsy one,” she stops abruptly as soon as she sees my ever reddening face, her smile transforming into a concerned expression, “Kate… are you ok?”

“I-I’m fine,” I stutter, trying my best to hide my obvious embarrassment.

She appears unconvinced by my weak response, “You’re flushed,” she touches my forehead while touching hers, which really doesn’t help with my blushing one bit, “You feel really warm. You sure you’re ok?”

“Yeah,” I mumble, hoping that will be enough to satisfy her.

Max narrows her eyes skeptically at me before thankfully taking a step back from me, “If you’re sure. Tell me if that changes.”

I can almost feel the disgust radiating from where Mom is stood near the doorway.

_I need to be more careful here. I don’t want her to start shouting at Max for no reason._

Dad comes over with the dustpan and brush, “I’ve got this, girls.”

Max grabs the cutlery and lays the table before sitting down next to me.

_What is wrong with me?_

Mom sits opposite as Lynn brings over some cups, sitting on my other side and gives me a cheeky grin, “I’ll give Kate the plastic one so she doesn’t drop it again.”

I tap her head lightly, “Ouch.”

Max giggles at us, a sound I find so comforting. Almost all my worries and fear disappear simply by hearing her.

Dad brings over the food and sits down next to mom, then turns to Max with an understanding smile, “Max, we are going to pray now. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

She returns his smile, “It’s ok. I don’t mind. I’ll join in.”

His smile widens as he clasps his hands together and bows his head, “Dear Lord, thank you for the food on this table and for bringing this family together. It’s been… hard at times, but you have given us the strength to see it through. Thank you for sending Max to Kate’s side at her time of need. Without her…” he pauses and takes a deep, uneven breath before continuing, “…we wouldn’t be able to sit here right now,” he offers me a fleeting grin before turning his attention back to Max, “Is there anything you wish to add, Max? You don’t have to, but if you want.”

Max nods, biting her lip as she gathers her thoughts, “Um… thank you for giving me the opportunity to help Kate,” her blue eyes meet my hazel ones as she continues, her gaze so intense right now that it pins me to the spot, “I know she felt alone and… I’m glad that I met her and had the chance to talk to her. I’m so grateful for that. The fact that she is here now gives me the strength to keep going.”

Dad nods in approval at Max’s addition, “Well said, Max,” he glances over at me next, “Kate?”

I clasp my hands tightly together and close my eyes, “Thank you lord for sending Max in my hour of need. I really needed someone to make me feel wanted and loved. You could not have chosen a better person. Thank you for letting Max and my paths cross and I pray that they shall continue to in the future.”

When I open my eyes, I find Max still looking at me. Her doe-like blue eyes are so soft and her expression seems almost distant. There is something very slightly troubled about it now.

“Lynn,” Dad prompts.

She scrunches her face up and claps her hands together loudly, “Yeah, thanks for guiding Max to Kate. She’s my hero.”

He cautiously turns to his wife, “Cynthia?”

I glance over at Mom, who maintains her cold and distant expression, “Thank you lord for helping our dear Kate,” this is all she offers up.

I sigh lightly, shaking my head a fraction.

_Some things never change._

“Amen,” we say in unison as we lift our heads.

Dad motions to the food on the table before us, “Right, dig in,” as we get sorted out, Mom keeps switching her gaze between Max and I.

_I wonder if Max has picked up on it. Given the sideways glances Max keeps giving her, she must have._

She finally speaks in her usual curt tone, “So Max, you go to Blackwell too, correct?”

Max chews her food and swallows before answering, “Yes ma’am.”

She looks on impassively, pushing her food around on the plate as she continues her interrogation, “You are in the same photography class as Kate, yes?”

“Y-yes, Mrs Marsh,” Max stammers before reaching out for the glass of water in front of her and taking a sip.

_This is really awkward. Mom’s not really the friendliest of people at the best of times. Dad and her are complete opposites._

“You also live in the same dorm area,” she presses, her tone a forced calm and her expression becoming strained.

Max nods nervously, small beads of sweat slowly forming on her brow from the intense questioning, “That’s right. I live almost opposite from Kate.”

Mom’s expression hardens, becoming colder and sterner as her jaw tightens, “I see. Do you go over often?”

_This must feel like an interrogation for her. In a way, it is. This is why I don’t invite many people over to my house._

Max bites her lip, “Fairly often ma’am. We have tea da… um…” she stumbles over her words, offering me a quick glance before backtracking, “sessions sometimes.”

_Good choice of wording, Max. If you had said dates, she would have flipped out._

Mom nods stiffly, “It’s an all-girls dorm at Blackwell, isn’t it?”

Dad clears his throat, interrupting her, “Cynthia, don’t interrogate the poor child.”

She gives him a scathing glare, “I just wanted to know a bit more about our child’s savior. I’m sure she doesn’t mind, right Max?”

Max rubs her neck awkwardly, “N-not at all.”

_Sorry Max. I know this is making you feel uncomfortable. It’s nearly over now… I hope._

“See,” Mom barks.

A tense silence fills the air at this point, only broken by the clattering of cutlery and the occasional shuffling. I look over at Max apologetically, who sticks out her tongue and crosses her eyes in response. Lynn giggles a bit too loudly, causing mom to give us a reprimanding scowl. We quickly assume serious expressions and continue eating, although every now and then Max and Lynn exchange goofy expressions, much to mom’s disapproval.

_At least Lynn likes Max. What is there not to like? She’s kind, caring, funny and… so many other things._

A discreet smile tugs at the corner of my lips as I glance over at Max once again. I don’t think she has a single mean bone in her body and never fails to make me laugh, even when I’m not feeling great. Just being near her makes everything a bit brighter. I jump when something brushes against my leg and nudges my foot, almost knocking over my cup. I manage to catch it at the last second before the water inside spills out over the table.

Lynn grins cheekily at me, “It’s a good thing I gave you the plastic cup, huh?”

_Did I imagine it? I must have done._

I shrug it off and resume eating. A few seconds later, it happens again. It’s coming from my right hand side, the seat Max is occupying. I glance over at her subtly. Her expression seems impassive, but I can tell that she is suppressing a huge dorky grin with all her might as the corner of her lip twitches. I gently nudge her back, her eyes darting towards me as she offers up an inconspicuous smile.

_Max always does small things like this and it makes me feel… content. It tells me that she is here with me and that thought alone calms me down._

Max continues to gently play with my foot and we exchange subtle glances throughout the rest of the meal. I try hard to hide the smile that threatens to creep onto my face.

_I don’t want to raise any suspicions._ _Mom doesn’t need any reason to start an argument._

When we finish, Dad grabs the plates and places them on the side near the sink ready for washing. Mom stands up abruptly and strides over to him, “Richard, can I have a word?”

He turns back to her, “Sure my love. I’ll just finish-”

Her brow furrows as she gives him a stern look, “Now.”

Dad looks over to us with an apologetic smile, “Girls, could you please start the washing up? I’ll be back soon.”

We nod as my parents walk out of the room. Lynn sighs, taking one of the plates off of the side and dunks it in the soapy water, “Well, that was more awkward than usual. I wonder what they are talking about.”

_I don’t think it can be anything good judging by Mom’s face. I hope she doesn’t cause a scene. Max has been so good to me and she doesn’t deserve that._

The three of us start working our way through the small pile of dirty plates and cutler. A few times, Max’s hand brushes against mine as we work. I can’t help but feel a bit flustered each time.

_What are you thinking, Kate? Focus._

Just as we’re finishing up, my parents walk back in. Dad sighs tiredly, running a hand over his balding head as his eyes fall on me, “Kate, could we have a word please, sweetie?”

A pang of anxiety enters the pit of my stomach at his resigned tone, “Uh… sure.”

Lynn gives me a worried look. Max must have picked up on this, because she puts a hand on her shoulder, “Hey, do you want me to show you how to blow the biggest bubbles you have ever seen.”

Lynn smiles excitedly at this, “Yes!”

“Thanks,” I mouth as I follow my parents into the hallway, Max winking at me before I leave.

Mom closes the door and paces with purpose away from it. She stops abruptly near the bottom of the stairs and turns to me with an icy expression.

I wince a bit at the harshness of it, her heart racing at a million miles an hour as I swallow to wet my suddenly dry throat, “What’s the matter?”

Dad stands awkwardly beside mom, who crosses her arms in irritation, “I’ll cut to the chase. What is your relation to Max?”

_What kind of a question is that?_

My brow furrows, uncertain of where she is going with this, “She’s my friend of course.”

Her jaw tightens at my answer, “Really?”

“Yes.”

She draws herself to her fullest height and puts on a stern expression as she squints at me accusingly, “The way you talked about her to us made me believe that Max was a boy.”

I think back to the times I had mentioned Max around mom and couldn’t see what she was trying to get at, “Why?

“You know why,” she hisses angrily, causing me to recoil slightly, “The way you speak about her makes it seem like you… love her,” at these words her lip curls upwards in disgust.

“Now, Cynthia…” dad cautions.

She swivels on her heel to face him, “No, Richard,” she turns back to me, menacingly bearing down on me, “I have seen the way she looks at you, and the way you act around her. What is going on?”

My eyes widen in sudden realization as her insinuation finally hits me, “Wait, you think that Max and I are… Max is my friend.”

Mom scoffs, injecting all the venom she can muster into her voice, “Likely story. That Max girl is leading you astray into sin. I knew sending you to that place was a mistake, especially after that video of you…”

I am rendered completely speechless at her accusations, my heart aching in my chest and tears stinging at my eyes.

_How could she bring that up? She knows I was drugged. I didn’t want to kiss a load of strangers._

She doesn’t stop there, “That place has corrupted you. I should have listened to your Auntie.”

“Cynthia!” dad exclaims, completely stunned that she would bring that up. I feel the tears well up in my eyes.

_I can’t let them fall. I won’t let her win. How could she suggest that I willingly did that? How…_

“You’re a disgrace to this family,” mom hisses, twisting the knife further.

Dad steps in between mom and I, his normally calm demeanor long gone as he shakes with rage, “CYNTHIA! THAT IS ENOUGH!”

Mom takes a step closer to him, “OH, SO YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT OUR DAUGHTER’S WELFARE!” it is all too much for me to handle right no, so I run upstairs with mom calling back after me as I reach my room and slam the door shut, “GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW, YOUNG LADY!”

I rush to my bed and hide under the covers, trying to escape this horrible situation I have found myself in. The salty tears fall down my cheeks and drip down on the bed as I sob my heart out, her cruel words still ringing in my ears.

_I don’t want to hear. I can’t. I didn’t ask to be drugged. I didn’t want to kiss all those people. I don’t want to… don’t want to…_

The memory I have been so desperately trying to suppress creeps its way to the forefront of my mind, tormenting me with its painful reminder…

* * *

**October 8 th 2013 – Prescott Dormitory Rooftop**

**The rain beats down heavily, seeping through my clothing as I teeter on the edge of the rooftop. I can see everyone standing below just watching, commenting in hushed whispers and… filming yet again.**

**_No-one cares about me… apart from Max._ **

**I sigh at this thought. Max tried to help me, but this is beyond anything that she can do. There are some things that you can never fix. My warm tears mingling with the cold droplets of rain that hit my skin.**

**_I’m sorry, Max. At least you’re not here to see this. I don’t want that to be your last memory of me. I would spare you that much. You tried so hard to help me, but it doesn’t matter now. Nothing matters._ **

**The door to the rooftop behind me slams open and an unexpected voice shouts over the howling wind, “Kate. Get away from there right now!”**

**At first, I think it might be a figment of my imagination, but when I turn back I see a girl with mid-length brown hair plastered to her head from the rain. Her body shakes violently as she stares at me pleadingly with those soft blue eyes I have come to know so well.**

**_No, Max. I… I didn’t want you to see me do this. I’m sorry. You tried so hard…_ **

**“What are you doing here, Max?” I call out to her, my stomach dropping at the pained expression on her freckled face.**

**“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m here to help my friend,” her voice falters as if she is going to breakdown any second, but she manages to hold strong.**

**She really cares. I can tell that easily… not that it makes much of a difference now. It’s too late for me, much too late.**

**“Don’t come near me. I will jump,” I threaten weakly as I take a small step back towards the edge.**

**Her face softens as she matches my step with her own, “Kate, please, step away from there.”**

**_Oh Max. I want to. I want everything to just go away. I want to be able to have tea sessions and laugh with you. If only I could go back and change everything…_ **

**My brow furrows as I stare back at her through the rain, “What’s the point? It’s too late now. I’m in a nightmare and I can’t wake up… unless I put myself to sleep,” I glance down at the floor below me, my resolve starting to falter ever so slightly.**

**Max must have sensed my apprehension, because she uses this opportunity to take another step towards me. Her eyes are filled with panic and her chest rises and falls erratically, “No. No. It’s not too late. Your life is still yours. You can get through this. I know you can and I’ll be here every step of the way.”**

**_Max, please don’t make this harder than it has to be. I… I don’t want to do this, but it’s the only way out._ **

**I bite at my chapped lip, “I would really like to believe that, Max. I know you care. You have always been there when I needed to talk and I know it’s you who has been rubbing those horrible messages from my board. No-one else would.”**

**I have a feeling that Max’s interventions have spared me a few of the worst insults. Her voice wavers as tears roll down her cheeks, mingling with the raindrops, “I really care about you Kate, more than I could ever say. Please don’t do this,” tears start to form in her eyes. Her face contorts into one of utter despair, “Please, don’t make me watch. I can’t. I won’t be able to function without you, Kate. I need you here,” she shivers uncontrollably and I can’t tell if it is from the cold or from crying.**

**Max tells me everything I wanted to hear and more, making me feel special and wanted as she reaches out her hand to me, “Kate… please.”**

**Her eyes beg me to stop what I am doing, to place my faith in her one last time. I feel my hand hesitantly grabbing at hers and she pulls me away from the edge into her arms as we collapse to the floor. She hugs me fiercely, shielding my body from the rain as I grip onto her.**

**“I’m sorry…” I mumble into her shoulder.**

**She lets out a sigh of relief, her voice sounding emotionally drained as she clings onto me for dear life, “What are you talking about? You saved me from talking in class.”**

**She holds me tight as if she will never let me go again… she never does.**

* * *

**Marsh House - Kate’s Room**

A quiet knock brings me back to reality. It can only be one person…

When I don’t answer, a shy soft spoken voice calls through the door, “Kate?”

_Oh Max. You always come when I need you._

I grip onto a pillow as she asks the one question I was not ready to face, “Can I come in?”

_I’m so confused right now. What is it I want? I’m scared, scared of what will happen if I let her in._

I hear myself say, “Yes.”

As the door creaks open, I crawl out from my blanket cocoon to see Max standing there awkwardly in the middle of my room, gripping onto her left arm tightly.

_She is always so considerate._

I sit up and pat the space on the bed beside me. After a brief pause, she hesitantly makes her way over and joins me.

_Even her just being here helps me calm down._

She plays with the bands on her wrist as she searches for the right words, “So…”

She is cut off when I launch myself at her and sob uncontrollably. Without hesitation she holds me close, rubbing small circles into my back and she begins stroking my hair. I hold onto her as tight as I possibly can. She doesn’t move away from me, she just sits there patiently and comforts me as I cry. I bury my head into her shoulder and can hear her heart beat, steady and unwavering… much like Max herself. I close my eyes as I listen, the sound soothing my shattered nerves.

_How did I ever survive without Max? She’s the person who has stood by me, even when everyone else turned against me. She didn’t try to blame me for… the video. I don’t think she has even watched it. I can tell when someone has. There is always a hint of disappointment and pity, sometimes amusement, in their eyes. They try to hide it, but I can tell._

After a few minutes of silence, I eventually calm down. I lift my head up off of Max’s shoulder as she gently rubs my back, “Do you want to talk about it?”

_Yes and no… part of me is terrified at where this could go._

I nod despite my trepidation, “Mom… said a lot of hurtful things to me. She blamed me for the stuff on the video.”

“What? Are you serious?” Max speaks through gritted teeth. When I nod, her expression becomes one of unadulterated rage, “That is ridiculous.”

_I don’t think I have ever seen Max so angry._

She takes hold of my shoulders and looks me straight in the eyes, “You were drugged. It’s **_not_** your fault.”

_Max I know, but it’s hard to think that way when everyone keeps telling you it’s your fault. You start to believe the lies. You start to believe that it’s your fault… even if it isn’t._

“I know that, but… that’s not all she said,” I continue.

Max looks at me earnestly, “Go on.”

_Here goes nothing. Will the pieces of my tattered life that I have worked so hard to build back up crash down around me?_

I swallow to wet my suddenly dry throat, “She said some things about you and… me.”

Max squeezes onto my shoulder reassuringly, “I’m listening.”

_How do I even say this?_

I sigh deeply, trying to figure out a way to put this, “She… she said that you were leading me into sin.”

She tilts her head to the side in confusion, “Uh… I’m not sure I follow.”

_I could lose Max. I don’t want that… but I trust her. She won’t hurt me. I know it._

My heart races in my chest and my entire body quivers as I continue, “She thinks that we’re… involved.”

Max face softens considerably and I swear I can see a very slight blush on her cheeks, “I… see.”

_I can’t tell what she is thinking._

She seems to be pondering something, having a great amount of difficulty if the slight frown on her face is anything to go by. She finally bites her lip and looks me directly in the eyes, “Kate, even if… even if we were… you know… it’s none of her business. God loves everyone, right?”

I nod as she presses on, “It shouldn’t matter what your sexuality is or whatever, God would still love you. People take things, people’s support systems and… twist them. They use them to hurt people and… it’s disgusting. You shouldn’t use it as a way to make yourself feel superior. Who gives a shit how many times you go to Church, if you’re an asshole to people then it doesn’t matter. You should use it to help yourself and others get through difficult times, not to make yourself look good. At least, that’s how I see it.”

Max pauses, then offers me a small smile, her expression gentle as she offers me that look I can’t decipher, “Besides, I can’t think of anyone more deserved of heaven than you.”

_I can. I’m looking at her right now._

“Max, I…” I draw my knees to my chest and hug them, “I’m really confused right now, Max. I’m not sure how I feel to be honest.”

“About what?” she asks curiously.

_Here goes nothing._

I rest my chin on my knees before mumbling, “About… you.”

Max’s eyes betray a flicker of surprise, which she almost immediately clamps down. I still see it though and it both excites and terrifies me.

“I feel so… comfortable around you. I can act like myself and I know you won’t judge me. I don’t have to pretend to be something I’m not.”

Her blue eyes remain on me unwavering with a serious expression on her freckled face.

_I can’t believe I am saying this. Damn it, Kate. It’s too late now._

“I… I feel a lot of things around you. Things I’ve… I’ve never felt for someone before… things I’ve been told that I only should feel for… for men,” I hug my knees tighter as the confession tumbles from my lips, “Mom has ingrained in us that it’s perverse to think like that. I hate myself for it,” Max rubs my arm reassuringly as I press on, “I… I don’t want to ruin our friendship. You are the only person who truly cares. I’m sorry I feel like this… I’m…” my sentence hangs in the heavy silence unfinished as the tears begin to well up in my eyes.

_You’ve really done it now, Kate._

After a few moments of excruciating silence, Max bites her lip, “Kate… I…” she takes a deep breath, her distant expression suggesting that she is somewhere else in her mind, reliving something, “Ever since I saw you on that roof… I…” she closes those beautiful expressive blue eyes of her, her body slightly quivering as if she were about to breakdown any moment. She swallows hard, then opens them again slowly.

_Those blue eyes, I could get lost in them forever. They show me everything I want and more._

Her intense gaze pins me to the spot, rendering me unable to move even an inch, “When you grabbed my hand, I… I can’t even describe the feeling I had,” a flicker of confliction enters her eyes as she continues, “It… it made me think a lot about what we were. I… I started to realize that maybe… maybe I was f-feeling things for you,” she barely whispers the last part.

My eyes widen in shock at her words. This is certainly the last thing I had ever expected to happen, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Max bites her lip harder and plays with the bands on her wrist vigorously, “The same reason you didn’t,” she pauses for a moment in thought, “Well, not God, but I didn’t want to ruin what we had because of stupid feelings,” her brow furrows slightly with concern, “Also, you weren’t in any state for me to say that. You had something horrible happen to you. That would only add to your problems. What kind of a friend would I be if I just dumped everything on you after… after…?” she looks away from me momentarily, “I just… I just want you to know that… that…” she nervously stumbles over her words, letting them get lost to the silence as her resolve weakens.

I tentatively reach out and place a hand reassuringly over hers to encourage her. She looks up at me, gazing deeply into my eyes with uncertainty, “I… I love you Kate. I’m… I’m sorry if that’s not what you want to hear, but… it’s the truth.”

My breathing quickens and my heart begins to feel like it’s going to beat right out of my chest on hearing Max’s confession.

_What? Max… loves me? How do I respond to that?_

Max grimaces when I don’t respond, “I… I totally understand if you reject me right here and now. I’m still your friend. You are too precious for me to lose. I… I get if you hate me for it.”

_How could I ever hate you, Max?_

She turns her head from me, her hair covering her face so I can’t see her expression, “I’m so-”

My body moves of its own accord and when my brain finally catches up, it registers that I am… kissing her.

I pull away, placing a hand to my mouth. I can still feel the sensation of her lips against mine. It makes me feel… strange, unlike anything I have ever experienced before. I have never really kissed anyone before… at least not of my own conviction. Sometimes, I see faint flickers of my first and last Vortex party, but this is not like that time. Max isn’t like those people. She wouldn’t take advantage of me, I know that. She looks shocked and that is a complete understatement. She sits there, her mouth slightly agape and her eyebrows raised almost up to her hairline from my impulsiveness. Her blue eyes seem to be searching for something.

“Max, I…” the words get caught in my throat as Max leans in closer.

_I can’t deny her, not that I want to. I would live forever in sin if I could spend one more moment with her._

She reaches out to me with a quivering hand and gently touches my cheek. I lean into her touch, bringing my own hand up to hers.

_Her hand is so warm against my skin._

She bridges the minute gap left between us and kisses me tenderly. I close my eyes and slowly move my lips against hers. I feel the tears roll down my cheek and taste the slight saltiness as they hit my lips. The kiss is gentle and considerate, just like Max. I’ve seen it so many times in films when it looks as if people are eating each other’s faces, which was kind of a terrifying concept for me. As per usual, reality and fiction do not line up, thankfully. I tremble, fearful of what is to come, but I don’t want to stop.

_Max is everything to me. I can think of no better person to be with me. She loves me and… I love her._

When I finally break away, Max’s eyes show hesitation. Her breathing is heavy and uneven as she swallows, “Was that ok? If it wasn’t we don’t ever have to do that again. You can just, forget it… not that I want to or anything… but I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable… or…” she sighs deeply as she tucks a stray strand of my blonde hair behind my ear, “This sounded way better in my head.”

_Oh Max. How could I ever want to forget that?_

I shake my head, feeling a smile tug at the corner of my lips, “I… I want to do it again.”

She seems surprised by my decision, but after the initial shock has passed she breaks out into a warm smile, “If you’re sure. I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything.”

I nod, more certain about this than any other decision I have made in my life, “I’m sure. Max, I… I love you too. I think I have for a while now. I tried to deny it to myself, but I can’t. Not any longer.”

Max leans in and continues to kiss me, this time with more conviction. It still manages to retain its sweetness though.

_This feels… so right. I want nothing more than to lose myself in her forever. I don’t feel afraid when I’m with her._

I tangle my fingers in Max’s hair, gently pulling as our lips collide. Her lips are slightly chapped and hold the very faint taste of orange, probably from a chapstick. Time seems to almost stop as we kiss. All that matters right now in this moment is Max.

_I never thought in a million years that this was where I would end up. Now I’m here, there is nowhere else I would rather be._

After a few moments, Max pulls away and places her forehead against mine, “Kate.”

_The way she says my name does things to me I never thought possible._

“Max.”

She reaches out for my hand, intertwining our fingers as she gives me that one look I couldn’t decipher. Now I know what it means… love.

For months I was conflicted, unwilling to accept the possibility that I could feel things like this for Max. Every time I look at her, I feel safe and wanted, like nothing can hurt me. I’ve dreamed about moments like this. At first, I felt ashamed. I’ve been told that I should not feel these things for women, that it’s a sin and I lay awake every night, trying to rid myself of these thoughts. I tried everything, but they still happened and eventually I... started to accept them.

_Why should it matter to anyone else who I love? Max has been there for me in ways I can never thank her for enough. We care about each other. What else matters?_

Max gazes deeply into my eyes, the intensity sending shivers down my spine, “Kate, you are the most beautiful person I have ever seen.”

I blush lightly at her compliment, “Flatterer.”

She smirks in mild amusement, “I try.”

_I know you do, Max. You try so hard._

“You aren’t so bad yourself,” I counter.

“Thanks,” she chuckles as leans in and kisses my nose, “Oops, I missed.”

“Max, you are such a huge dork,” I giggle.

She grins at me cheekily, “I wasn’t expecting you to move. Hold still or next time you might not be so lucky.”

I impatiently pull her in and kiss her again. A warm, tingling sensation spreads throughout my body as her hands begin to roam along my back. I hold Max as close as I possibly can, feeling complete when she is here.

_This feels so… right._

The door flies open behind me and someone enters. A voice I know all too well calls out to me and my body freezes, “Kate, I…”

_No. No. No. No. This is not happening._

“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?” my mother roars when she sees us.

_Why? This wasn’t supposed to happen._

I wince at the harshness of her tone as she strides over to us, “GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!”

She doesn’t move, instead meeting mom’s icy glare with one of her own, “No.”

Mom’s body shakes with rage, “What did you…?”

Max gets up from the bed and stands in front of mom, staring her straight in the face without fear, “I said no. I love her.”

Mom’s eyes widen in shock, which quickly develops into unadulterated fury, “No, you are just leading her into sin! I knew you were trouble!”

I get up, unable to keep quiet any longer, “Mom, it’s not sin. It’s love.”

Mom spins around to face me, “DELUSIONAL CHILD!” she raises her hand to hit me and I close my eyes, bracing myself for the pain.

When it doesn’t come, I open my eyes a fraction to see that Max has grabbed onto her hand with an expression I have never seen from her before, “Don’t. You. Lay. A. Fucking. Hand. On. Her.”

_I have never seen this side of Max. It’s kind of scary._

Mom tears her hand out of Max’s grasp and hisses furiously, “Get out of my house!”

My heart sinks, “Mom I…”

She turns to me, shaking with rage, “I am not your mother and you are not my daughter. Get out.”

“But…”

She points to the door angrily, “I SAID, OUT!”

I stand there in a daze, my brain trying to register what has just happened.

_I knew Mom wouldn’t approve of this, but I thought she might have tried to understand. I should have known. I was just fooling myself._

Max glances over at me, then firmly grabs onto my hand and gently pulls me out of the room.

“DON’T EVER COME BACK!” mom screams after us as Max drags me along.

I grab my bag on the way out and wave at Dad and Lynn sadly as we exit the house.

_I have chosen my path._

* * *

**Present – Max and Kate’s House**

I never saw Mom again after that. When we graduated from Blackwell, Max and I moved in together and shortly after that we gave each other a ring, one I wear with pride. Dad and Lynn have come to visit a few times and they came over to celebrate when we gave our rings. It’s nice to know that at least they support me.

_Here we are now. I don’t regret a single thing._

Max reaches out for my hand and absentmindedly plays with the ring on my finger, “What are you thinking about?”

I sigh and rest my head on her shoulder, “Mom.”

Max shuffles closer and kisses me gently on my forehead, “I love you, Kate.”

I cuddle up as close as I can to her and whisper, “I love you too, Max.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story will cover some very heavy topics, as anyone who has played TLOU and/or LIS will know. I don’t want to treat these issues as something there for shock value. It’s important for everyone to feel validated and supported.
> 
> I know people struggle with religion and sexuality, among other things. Religion can be a great thing, but some people use it to hurt others. It’s not even just about religion, it’s about people making hurtful, unnecessary comments about someone because of something that doesn’t even concern them.
> 
> You feel how you feel and there is nothing wrong with that at all. As long as whatever you do is consensual for all those involved, then it’s absolutely fine. 
> 
> Never ever victim blame. Blaming someone for something that isn’t their fault is very damaging, more than you can even imagine. Please treat people with respect and most importantly, treat yourself with respect. Anyone who purposefully hurts you is not worth your time or energy. Surround yourself with people who love and care about you. You are strong and worth it.
> 
> Please, please, please don’t bottle up all your emotions. We all deal with things in our own way and that’s fine, but hiding/ignoring the issue is not going to help. It will end up with you feeling shit and/or having a huge breakdown. Even if you just write how you feel so you get some emotional release if you don’t want to talk about it, it is better than nothing.  
> (End of big ass monologue)
> 
> So, have a great day you beautiful people and see you next time.


	2. Pale in Comparison (E)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strange things are happening. Max is nowhere to be seen and disaster is about to hit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains some heavy stuff, so proceed with caution. If you’ve played TLOU, you will know where this is going.  
> Enjoy.

**Chapter Two: Pale in Comparison**

**Kate’s POV – Max and Kate’s Bedroom**

Light seeps through the window, landing on my face and waking me from my slumber, “Mmm…”

_I should have closed the blinds last night._

I turn over and pull the covers up over my face in an attempt to go back to sleep, but fail miserably.

_I guess there is no point delaying the inevitable._

I open my eyes to find that Max isn’t there beside me.

_That’s strange. Where is she? Maybe she’s in the bathroom._

Soon enough, sleep take hold of me once more and my eyes slowly begin to close again. Just as I am drifting out of consciousness, the phone on the bedside table rings.

_So much for getting more sleep._

I pick up the phone and drowsily answer, “Hello?”

A familiar voice filters through from the other line belonging to Warren Graham, “Kate, I need you to get Max on the phone.”

“What’s going on?” I ask confusedly.

He pauses for a moment, “I need to talk to her, there is something…” his sentence is silenced when the phone call cuts out.

“Warren?” I call out, not getting a response.

_What is going on? Things are starting to get really strange around here._

I stare at the phone for a while before placing it back down on the bedside table. Deciding to search for Max, I pull the covers off me and get up out of the bed. Without hesitation, I exit the bedroom and begin wandering cautiously down the corridor, “Max, are you here?”

No answer.

_Where is she? It’s not like her to be up so early. She’s usually in bed for as long as possible. It’s Saturday so she shouldn’t have anything on._

I enter the computer room just down the hallway on the left, finding it empty.

_No Max here._

The TV in the room blares, it seems to be on a news channel.

_Has Max left it on again? She has a bad habit of doing that._

I glance over to the screen curiously, seeing a news reporter standing on a very familiar street. It can’t be that far away from the house, maybe a twenty minute drive maximum. Behind her is a building, people swarming from it with haste.

_**“We’ve received reports that victims afflicted with the infection show signs of increased aggression and…”** _

A military soldier appears on screen behind her, helping people out of the building.

_**“We need to move everybody out of here now. There’s a gas leak.”** _

_Wait, that’s nearby._

_**“Hey. Move!”** _

The woman doesn’t pay attention to those fleeing around her, continuing to stare straight into the camera with an almost impassive expression.

_**“There seems to be some commotion coming from the…”** _

When he sees the woman, he strides over to her and points over towards the mass of people running from the building.

_**“Get out of here! Lady, get the hell out of here right-”** _

His words are interrupted by a large explosion on screen, followed by a loud bang and then static as the screen cuts out. I stare at the now blank screen, “What was that?”

**BOOM**

My head swivels towards the window, seeing a fiery cloud erupting in the distance which makes the whole house shakes.

_What is going on? I’m getting really worried now._

“Oh no,” I mumble, turning on my heel and racing out of the room, “Max, where are you?”

I head over to the stairs and head on down them, glancing at the clock as I go. It’s 2:15 am.

_Where would she go this early in the morning?_

I reach the first floor and glance around to see if she’s here. Sometimes she falls asleep on the couch or in some strange place.

“Max?” I hesitantly call out into the darkness.

**BZZZ. BZZZ. BZZZ.**

I look around for the source of the buzzing to find Max’s phone sitting on the kitchen table.

_She never leaves without it._

I make my way over to the table and pick it up to find eight missed calls and ten new messages.

**Warren: Where are you? Call me when you see this.**

**Warren: Max, shit is getting pretty crazy down here. Please call me.**

**Warren: Max!**

**Warren: I’m on my way.**

I put her phone back down on the table, my panic only increasing.

_Although it is not unusual for Warren to blow up Max’s phone, it’s never like this._

I enter the kitchen to find the crumpled scrap of paper on the fridge from last night, a note written on it in familiar soft looping handwriting.

* * *

**I’ll be back late tonight so feel free to order pizza or something. Love you, Max :)**

* * *

_Where are you, Max?_

I head on out of the kitchen and walk into the study opposite, nervously calling out into the darkness as I go, “Max, if this is a joke it’s not funny anymore.”

_As much as Max loves practical jokes, this seems a bit extreme._

There is a glass door leading out into the backyard. I approach it and stifle a scream as a figure rushes inside. A girl with disheveled mid-length brown hair and blue eyes stumbles inside, slamming the door shut behind her. Her eyes are wide with fear as she leans against the door, panting heavily. When she sees me, her face softens a fraction, “Kate. It’s me.”

My heart soars when I realize that she is here and safe with me, “Oh, Max,” I run up to her frantically and hug her tightly, “I was so worried.”

She wraps her arms around me as I bury my head into her shoulder. I grip onto her, not letting her move even an inch. After a while, she gently disengages and holds onto my shoulders. She looks so terrified right now, “Kate, has anyone come in here?”

“No.”

Max sighs in relief, the tenseness in her shoulders lessening a bit, “Don’t go near the door, just… just stand back there,” she moves me away from the door.

“Max, what is going o-?” I freeze when I see the gun poking out of the waistband of her jeans.

_Where did that come from?_

“Max…”

I jump when I hear a loud bashing at the door. Max moves in front of me and grabs hold of the gun, her hands shaking as they clutch onto the cold metal, “Stay behind me, Kate.”

_Has she ever even held a gun before?_

The figure crashes through the glass, advancing on us as they groan and snarl, their arms clawing the air, “St-stay back! I’m warning you! I am not afraid to shoot!”

It lunges at Max and a gunshot rings through the air. The body falls to the floor with a loud thud, blood pooling from the bullet wound in their head. I stare down at it completely dazed.

_Max just… shot someone._

She grabs onto my hand and pulls me along behind her, “Go. GO!”

“What is going on, Max?”

She stops momentarily and puts her hands on my shoulders, desperately trying to catch her breath. “Kate, listen to me. There is something bad going on. I’m not sure what it is, but we have got to get out of here. Do you understand?”

_I don’t know what is going on, but I trust Max._

I swallow to wet my dry throat and nod, “Yes.”

“We have to get to Warren. Come on,” she grabs hold of my hand again and leads me to the back of the house.

Warren stands there in front of an old beat up car, seeming as terrified as Max is. When he spots us, he waves us over, “Oh finally, Max. Where have you been? Do you know what’s going on?”

She doesn’t waste a second opening the car door and motioning for me to get in, “I… I don’t know, Warren. All I know is that we need to get out of here.”

Warren’s eyes widen as they fall on Max’s blood soaked clothes, “Max… is that blood?”

“I’ll explain later,” she mumbles as she piles into the back with me. Warren gets into the driver’s side and starts up the car again. Max reaches over and holds my hand tightly, her own hand shaking ever so slightly. I squeeze her hand reassuringly, which causes her to glance over at me and smiles, squeezing my hand back, “Everything is going to be just fine.”

_Is it, Max? I’m not so sure._

Warren puts his foot down and pulls out onto the street. As he drives, he fiddles around with the radio. When no sound comes out of it, he hits it with the palm of his hand, “Damn it. No radio. A minute ago they wouldn’t shut up.”

_Max, I’m scared. What is going on?_

“Just keep going, Warren. It doesn’t matter where,” she mutters before leaning over and kissing me tenderly, “We’ll be fine. We just have to stick together.”

I look out of the car window to see smashed cars, bodies, blood… so much blood, “How did this happen?”

Warren turns to me briefly as he races down the narrow roads, “No-one knows, but it’s not just here.”

_At least Max is here with me. That’s all that matters now._

We make it to the highway, but it’s blocked. Cars line all the lanes and people honk their horns in a vain attempt to get things moving.

“No. No. No. This can’t be happening,” Max mumbles as she frantically searches for an opening.

The driver’s side door of the car in front of us burst open and a man steps out, “What the fuck man, just go…” his words are cut off as a figure lunges at him, tearing into his neck. Guttural screams and gurgling pierces the air.

“Holy shit! Turn around, Warren,” he doesn’t say anything. Max leans forward and violently shakes his shoulder to break him out of his trance, “Warren!”

He shakes himself back to reality, “Sorry.”

He puts the car in reverse. The figure runs towards the car, throwing itself at it. Warren puts his foot down and the figure slides off, leading a bloody trail down the back windscreen. My view is tinted with crimson.

“What the fuck just happened?!” Max asks as she clutches onto me.

Warren runs his fingers through his hair as he continues to drive, “I don’t know, Max,” he turns down onto the main street, but slows almost immediately, “No.”

People run, scramble and flee along the streets, blocking our path. Some are dragged to the floor, their throats ripped, their limbs torn… their lives taken.

_What is going on? Why is this happening? Just a few hours ago I was laying there in bed with Max, not a care in the world and now we are on the run from God knows what. Is this the day of judgement Mom always told me about?_

My brow furrows as I watch the horrific display, “What are they running from?”

Max holds me close, “I… I don’t know.”

A trailer blocks off the majority of the road with people seep through the gap. Warren slows down to a crawl as people run for their lives.

Max shakes her head, “Warren. We can’t stop here.”

“I can’t drive through them,” he points out.

An opening suddenly emerges and Max points towards it, “GO!”

He accelerates and we just make it through before a flood of people run out from the gap. I only have a second to feel relieved before a car speeding directly towards us at an immense speed catches my eye.

“Look out!” my warning comes all too late as it smashes into our side.

My world blurs around the edges and an insistent ringing fills my ears as I slowly fall in and out of consciousness.

_I have to stay awake… I have to…_

The haze in my mind threatens to overwhelm me as my eyes slowly close and I black out.

* * *

Muffled screams reach my ears as I come back to the real world. My eyes open a fraction and I lift my head, “Uhn… where…?”

I try to sit up, but my body hurts so I just lay there for a while. The ringing in my ears lessens as my vision slowly returns to me. I become aware of someone laying beside me and glance over to see that it’s Max. She isn’t moving.

“MAX!” I cry out as I shake her gently, hoping that she is ok.

_Oh please. No. Don’t take her from me._

She stirs and coughs a few times, turning to the sound of my voice, “Mmm… Kate,” blood trickles from the large cut on her forehead. Her hands and face are covered in scratches and she’s going to get a nasty bruise on her cheek, but she’s alive. She coughs again and groans slightly, “I don’t think I’ll be doing that again for a while.”

_Oh thank god. If I lost Max, I… I don’t know what I would do._

I reach out and touch her face. She flinches a bit, but leans in close and grins, “I’m going to get some serious battle scars. I hope you find scars sexy.”

She never fails to make me smile, even in dire situations like this it would seem, “Glad to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”

I look out onto the street and notice figure is tearing at something just a few feet from us, causing blood to splatter with a sickening squelch. I turn away from the horrifying sight.

_It makes me feel ill. Hold it together Kate. You can feel sick later. Now is not the time._

“Move back Kate,” Max orders. I do as she says and she kicks at the back windscreen a few times. It shatters and Max crawls out of the car. The second she gets out, a figure lunges at her.

“Max!” I cry out as the figure crumples to the floor. Warren stands over Max with a brick in his hands. He drops it and helps her up.

“Thanks, Warren.”

He scratches his head, “No problem.”

Max crouches down and offers her hand to me. I take it and she pulls me out, helping me to my feet. I stumble forward, “What’s the matter?”

I try to move my leg, but it buckles underneath me as a searing pain shoots through my right leg, “My leg hurts.”

“How bad?”

I try to take a step forward and almost fall over, but Max steadies me, “Pretty bad.”

_Why did I have to go and get hurt now? My timing is impeccable as always._

Warren frantically scans the area as screams and groans echo down the street, “We need to move.”

Max hands her gun over to him, “Keep us safe.”

He nods, a somber expression on his face as Max picks me up in her arms and offers me a forced smile, “See, it’s a good thing I got all that training in.”

“Yeah,” I mumble as I cling onto her neck as she runs with me in her arms. People scarper, falling over and screaming as they are taken down and devoured with ferocity. I try not to look, but it’s hard to ignore.

  _It’s disgusting. This all a dream. It has to be, right?_

Max notices that I am staring at the carnage, “Just look at me, Kate. Keep looking at me.”

Ahead of us, a car crashes into a gas station and bloodcurdling shrieks pierce the air. The entire thing explodes, throwing bodies upward as the ground shake from the impact. Max changes course, turning sharply right. A building to the left of us is on fire. People run out, screaming as the smell of burning flesh permeates my nose and desperate cries penetrate the chaos.

_I won’t ever be able to get them out of my head for as long as I live. This is… horrible._

“They are on fire, Max,” my voice is little more than a whisper.

She squeezes me, “I know. Don’t look.”

_It’s hard not to._

Two cars crash into each other to our right, but Max just keeps running no matter what happens around her. The path ahead is littered with… whatever those things are.

Warren turns around and shouts, “There’s too many of them. Turn left.”

Max turns sharply down the nearest alleyway. A figure jumps out of nowhere, lunging at us. She fends it off with her arm before Warren pushes it off her and shoots. She keeps running, never once looking back. Warren runs ahead of us and opens the door to a bar. I look behind me, regretting it immediately. They are so close now.

_Are we going to make it out of this? It’s going to take a miracle._

We get inside as the figures reach the door and Warren slams it shut, leaning against it as it rattles, “Go. I’ll cover you. Get to the highway. I can out run them.”

Max nods at him appreciatively, “Thanks Warren. I’ll see you there.”

She sprints as fast as she can through the bar and out to the other side. Groans and grunts reach my ears as more of those bloodthirsty creatures stagger behind us.

“Max…” I whisper.

She pants heavily, sweat trickling down her brow as she tries to catch her breath, “Yes, Kate.”

I let out a shaky breath against her neck, “Just in case we… we don’t make it. Just know I love you.”

Max squeezes me, looking at me with those eyes full of love and now fear for losing everything, “I love you too, but we are going to get through this, together.”

I hear gunfire and the figures behind us fall to the ground. Max grinds to a halt and I see a man, who I assume to be a member of the army, in front of us.

_We’re safe now._

Max puts her forehead against mine and closes her eyes, “Oh thank dog. We’re safe Kate,” she smiles in relief as she nuzzles my nose, “I think this is going to call for a major cuddling session when we get somewhere safe.”

“I’m never letting you out of my sight, Max. It scared me when I couldn’t find you,” I admit, clinging onto her for dear life.

She gives me a quick kiss, “I’m not going anywhere.”

_I can’t believe we made it out of there in one piece._

Max stumbles closer to the man, “We need help.”

“Stop!” he orders.

Max slows her pace, “Please, it’s my girlfriend. I think her leg is broken.”

The soldier holds his gun up threateningly, “Stop right there!”

She takes a step back, her voice calm as she tries to diffuse the situation, “Ok… we’re not sick. We just need help.”

The man grabs his radio and talks into it, “We’ve got a couple of civilians in the outer area. Please advise.”

_I don’t like this at all._

The soldier’s face crumples slightly, “Sir, they’re only teenage girls. But… yes, sir,” he puts his radio back on his belt.

Max tentatively takes a small step closer to him, “Listen, we’ve been through hell and… we just need…”

The man steadies his gun at us and Max’s eyes widen, “Oh, shit.”

Gunshots ring in the air.

* * *

**Max’s POV**

I fall to the floor, my face scrunching up and I hit the ground with a loud thud.

_Fuck. That fucker got me._

I try to get up, but a pain in my leg stops me. My brow furrows and I clutch at my leg as I lay on my back. Heavy footsteps make their way over to me belong to the soldier from before. He stands over me, pointing his gun directly at my head. My situation looks pretty dire to say the least.

_I guess this is it, huh? This is how everything ends for me. I was finally fucking happy and then everything is taken away. I’m sorry, Kate._

I close my eyes and wait for the end as a loud gunshot pierces the air. Instead of feeling the cold embrace of death, nothing happens. I am still alive. I open my eyes a fraction to see Warren standing over me with the gun I gave him in his hand. The soldier from earlier lays on the floor at my feet, blood oozing from the bullet hole in his head.

_I have to hand it to Warren, he’s a good shot._

When he realizes I’m awake, he smiles tiredly at me, “Your white knight here to save the day.”

I roll my eyes at him.

_Is he ever going to quit it?_

He looks behind me and his smile quickly fades, “Oh no…”

“What?”

I can hear uneven breathing and whimpering from behind me. When I glance back, my blood runs cold.

_No. No. No. No. NO. NO!_

I scramble over to the source of the noise, my face turning pale, “Kate!”

Kate lays there with tears running down her cheeks as her body shakes uncontrollably. Fear grips my heart as I notice the red liquid oozing from a wound on her side. Her hands are pressed against it, now completely covered in her blood.

_Oh god. No. Please, not her._

“Kate, move your hands,” I breathe as I gently remove them from her side. Kate whimpers loudly and reaches out to me, “I know, I know.”

I apply pressure to the wound as she lets out a shaky gasp, “M-Max.”

Her hand finds my face and I grab it tightly, “Listen to me, Kate. I… I know this hurts but...”

“M…” she stammers, looking worse by the second.

I feel tears sting at my eyes, “You’re going to be ok. Stay with me. Please.”

_Tears won’t help Kate now. Just think and do something._

Kate trembles in my arms, her breathing uneven as I carefully move her, “I’m going to pick you up now,” she cries out in pain and I wince, “I know it hurts. Just…”

Her face is twisted in agony, “l... you.”

“Don’t push yourself. Just… hold on. We’ll find help,” I turn around to Warren, struggling to keep some composure, “Go look for help.”

He looks at me with sadness in his eyes, “Max… I… I don’t think…”

_I am not giving up. I WON’T!_

“JUST DO IT!!!” I shout out, desperate to make her better again, “Please.”

Without another word, he turns and runs away from where we are, “Anyone? Can anyone help?”

I don’t take my eyes off Kate for even a second. Her body convulses violently, her hair is plastered to her head as she is sweating profusely and her eyes are unfocused. I gently move the hair from her eyes, leaving a red trail on her forehead. I look down at my hands to see that they are covered in her blood. Her…

_Fuck!_

I lean my forehead against hers, holding her close. My hands grasp onto her shirt. My voice is little more than a whisper, “I’m sorry, Kate. I’m so sorry. I should have…”

Kate reaches out for my hand and I hold it tight, tighter than I have ever before.

_Please. Come on. Everything will be fine…_

“M-Max. I… I l-love y-”

I lean down and kiss her, letting the tears fall down my cheeks. I don’t even try to stop them anymore.

She feebly moves her lips against mine, feeling much colder than usual.

_Please. Don’t… don’t take her from me. I beg you. To whatever God or… just don’t…_

I lean close to her ear and whisper, “I love you too, so please… p-” my words get caught in my throat as Kate’s body goes limp. My body goes numb as I stare down at her lifeless body in my arms.

 _No._ _This… is not happening. I-I’m imagining it. I… have to be._

I look over to Warren, “Warren, t-tell me this isn’t happening. Tell me i-it’s all in my head,” he looks on helplessly as I begin to tremble, “Please…” I look down at her blood streaked face and tear-stained cheeks, “Kate?”

_This… this can’t be real. This isn’t happening. This is all just some horrible dream. I’m going to wake up and she’ll be there, next to me as always. She’ll make me those waffles she promised. We’ll sit in bed all day, watching shitty TV. We’ll order take-out and then we’ll talk about every topic under the sun. I’ll hold her tight and kiss her and… and…_

“Kate,” my voice threatens to break as I gently shake her. When she doesn’t move, the tears fall from my eyes and land on her face, “Kate.”

_No. No. This isn’t happening._

I hold Kate closer and gently start to rock, clenching my teeth, “Don’t… don’t do this to me. D-don’t do this to me, Kate. Come on…” I press my forehead against hers and start to sob. My body shakes as I grasp onto Kate as tight as I can, “No… no… oh… no… no… please,” tears stream from my eyes as I slowly feel myself lose control, “Oh god. Please… please. Don’t do this. Please, God…” I stare at her motionless body and my face contorts into one of unadulterated despair.

_That’s it. I can’t function without her. She is my reason for getting up in the morning, so I can come home and joke around with her… so I can see her smiling face. She is my reason for enjoying life. Without her…_

I feel a hand on my shoulder, “Max, I’m sorry but we… have to go.”

I don’t respond to Warren, instead just sitting there stunned.

_I can’t go on. I just can’t. I don’t want to live in a world without her._

“Max, please…” Warren goes to touch Kate.

“NO!” I move her away from his touch and his hand recoils as I hug her body tight. Any control I had left suddenly vanishes and I sob uncontrollably while holding Kate, “Fuck. FUCK!” I punch the ground as hard as I can, letting out a roar of despair. I hear a loud crunch and feel my hand throb. The pain pales in comparison to the wound on my soul and heart.

_That’s it. I’m done. Everything is over. My world is over._

* * *

**The number of confirmed deaths has passed two hundred. The governor has called a state of emergency...** **There were hundreds and hundreds of bodies lining the streets...** **Panic spreads worldwide after a leaked report from the World Health Organisation showed that the latest vaccination tests have failed...** **with the bureaucrats out of power we can finally take the necessary steps to protect...** **Los Angeles is now the latest city to be placed under martial law. All residents are required to report to their designated quarantine… R** **iots have continued for a third consecutive day and winter rations are at an all-time low...** **A group calling themselves the Fireflies have claimed responsibility for both attacks...** **Their public charter calls for the return of all branches of government...** **Demonstrations broke out following the execution of six more alleged Fireflies... Y** **ou can still rise with us. Remember, when you’re lost in the darkness… look for the light. Believe in the Fireflies.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was an emotional chapter to write. I might do a spin off series covering Max and Kate’s gradual relationship build up. Get some major fluff to combat everything. TLOU is such a sad game, but then so is LIS.  
> See you next time.


	3. Make Your Shots Count (E)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five years on from the tragic death of Kate, Max finds herself in a new world, one which is cruel and dangerous. She may have found a bit of happiness along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. We are back. So this chapter and the next one are going to be Chasefield. Then we shall be moving on to the Pricefield stuff.  
> Enjoy

**Chapter Three: Make Your Shots Count**

**Max's POV – Summer – Five years later - Military Quarantine Zone**

**KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.**

I sit up abruptly from the beat up couch and rub my eyes as a loud, impatient knock fills the silence. I inhale deeply and sit on the edge with my head in my hands, trying to shake of the remnants of sleep clouding my mind.

_It looks like I fell asleep._

I glance up at the small room I am currently in. This place looks like it will fall down any minute, with large cracks in the brick walls, rotting floorboards and splintered glass in the windows. There is also a very noticeable draft coming from a patched up hole in the roof that leaks whenever there is heavy rainfall. Any furniture left in here is on its last legs, threatening to collapse without notice. It's not much, but it's better than being out in the open where the risk of getting infected is off the chart. You're as good as dead out there if you can't find somewhere safe to hole up and a sustainable source of food, water and veritable defenses. That is the one good thing about staying in the military quarantine zones… even if there is a lot left to be desired in almost every other area. For now, the infected are the greatest threat so most put up with the military's iron fisted ruling, myself included.

**KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.**

My tired, icy blue eyes are drawn to the door once more as the knock echoes around the room.

_I guess I'd better answer it before someone knocks the door down._

"I'm coming. Wait a damn minute," I grumble grumpily as I stretch and make my way through the kitchen towards the front door. I've never been a morning person and that hasn't changed with the apocalypse. I yawn as I reach out to open the door.

_Jeebus, I am so fricking tired. I really have to sort out my sleep schedule. Yeah, like that's ever going to happen._

As the door swings open it reveals a tall girl with short blonde hair and piercing brown eyes. My eyes narrow as they fall upon the fresh scratches and bruises on the exposed pale skin of her arms and face.

_She just can't stay out of trouble for more than five minutes, can you? Then, neither can I._

I sigh deeply and after a second move aside to let Victoria Chase inside the room. She confidently strides over to the table without giving me much attention and grabs a half empty bottle from it, lazily holding it out in my direction, "Want one?"

_What the hell happened to her?_

"No. I don't… want one," I mumble as she shrugs and pours herself a healthy measure, downing it in one. Victoria has never been one to do things half-heartedly. It's either all or nothing, especially when it comes to alcohol. She is actually a real lightweight, but she would deny it if you ever suggested that.

_Not that I can judge._

"Someone's grumpy this morning," Victoria remarks as she casually leans against the scratched wooden table, her chin resting on her hand, "I have some interesting news for you."

_Oh, you are not getting away with this one._

"Where were you, Victoria?" I question, my eyes falling on her injuries and making my blood boil.

She offers me an aloof look before she pours herself another drink into the chipped glass as she answers, "We had a drop to make."

I grab a semi-clean towel from the side and walk over to her, "We. We had a drop to make."

Victoria scoffs, placing her now empty glass on the table beside her, "Well, you wanted to be left alone, remember?"

_How does she always manage to turn my words against me? She has a real knack for it._

I stand in front of her and dab gently at her wounds. She flinches slightly, but doesn't move away. I can see a large purple bruise starting to form on her cheek and feel a pang of guilt enter the pit of my stomach.

_Victoria should have woken me up. She got hurt because I wasn't there to help her. I know she can hold her own, but being cocky only gets you killed._

"Let me guess," I begin as I tend to her wounds, "the whole thing went south and our client made off with the pills. Is that about right?"

She laughs at my suggestion, "You could have a little faith in me. The deal went off without a hitch."

_Victoria doesn't deserve me taking out everything on her. Max, get your shit together. She's more than capable of doing things on her own, you know that._

I finish off cleaning her up then, after a moment of reflection, I sigh and rub my face, "Sorry, I got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

She chuckles at my admission as she examines my handiwork, "I can see that," seemingly satisfied, she saunters over to me and leans in close, her warm breath tickling my ear as she whispers, "Maybe you should… go back to bed, so you can wake up on the right side."

An amused smirk tugs at the corner of my lips, "And would I be making my way alone?"

She pulls away from me slowly, backing up so that she is leaning against the edge of the table once more, "Well… that depends."

Deciding to play along with her games, I take a confident step towards her, "On what?"

She smiles coyly at me, "On whether you can say the right thing."

When I finally make my way over to her, I place my hands on either side of her on the table and lean my face close to hers, my tone low and husky, "Victoria, I want you right now, and I'm not taking no for an answer."

Her hands find their way to the back pockets of my jeans, sliding them in with ease as she presses her body closer to mine, her eyes flashing with uncontrolled lust, "You certainly know how to woo a woman."

"Well, I know how to woo a certain woman," I add cheekily.

"That you do," Victoria abruptly slides off of the table and pushes me against the nearest wall, "Now, we don't have time to mess around, so let's do this… quickly. No fucking around. Got it?"

"So the usual then?" I chuckle.

Victoria presses her body hard against me and puts her knee in between my legs, pressing lightly at first. I moan at the sudden contact which spurs her to apply more pressure, "That's it. I think we've got you primed and ready to go. Don't you?"

Unable to suppress my longing any more, I grab Victoria and push her back against the table. She falls on it and nearly knocks the bottle onto the table, "Hey, watch out for the booze."

"Sorry," I mumble as she passes it to me and I place it on the counter to avoid any unwanted waste or injury. Victoria uses this time to make herself more comfortable on the table and kicks off her shoes. They land a couple of inches from me with a soft thud, teasing me. Without further hesitation, I pace over to the table and jump up on the table. Victoria beckons to me with her finger as I crawl towards her and straddle her, locking her in place with my thighs. The second I am adjusted, she reaches up and wraps her arms around my neck. She pulls me down and our lips collide roughly. I reciprocate her affection, returning the passionate kiss just as firmly. I slide my tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss as her hands wander down to the hem of my shirt, demanding its removal. We break apart for a moment, eagerly removing our outer clothing.

I smirk tauntingly as I feel her nails raking my back and begin to fumble with the strap of my bra, "We may get a world record today. I've never seen you undress so quickly. Someone is thirsty."

"Shut up and fuck me already," she orders as she bites down on my shoulder.

I suppress the moan of pleasure just long enough to mumble, "As you wish…"

* * *

We lay there naked on the floor, panting heavily in an attempt to catch our breath. My fingers idly trace the newly made marks and scratches covering Victoria's body as she snuggles up to me, her arms wrapped around me tightly. It's funny, she always says that there is no time for "fucking around", but she always insists on cuddling up together afterwards.

_It's kind of cute and I'm not complaining. As much as it's good to relieve sexual frustration, it's even nicer to just lay there holding each other._

My mind flashes back to five years ago…

* * *

**In the impenetrable darkness my slightly sweaty hand finds hers, our fingers intertwine. She holds onto me as if she will never let me go. Her body is pressed firmly against mine, writhing as my hand runs along her exposed skin. My mind is overwhelmed by the intoxicating sensation… by her.**

" **Max," her breath hitches as sweat trickles down her brow, "You are the world to me," her breathy voice fills me with an indescribable surge of pleasure, "I will love you, forever and always," a gentle moan passes her lips at my touch, "My angel."**

* * *

_No. No. No. No. No. No! Don't even start. That is the past and there is nothing you can do about it… even if you want to. You can't change the past._

My arm snakes around her waist, pulling her closer and kissing her much more tenderly than before. My fingers gently trace the marks on her skin I didn't create once again, feeling anger pulsate through my veins.

_I don't like the idea of someone hurting her, touching her with grubby hands. Marking her. Whoa, down Max. Possessive much?_

I clamp down on these weird feelings as we break apart. As we lay there, I remember when we first started… whatever this is, Victoria would glare at anyone who dared to talk to me, which I didn't really mind. They were all assholes. I would do the same, although I'm not sure it had the same affect.

_Victoria does have a very effective glare. I should know, I've been on the receiving end more times than I can count and I can count pretty high._

"So, what's with all these scratches and bruises then?" I inquire, unable to let it go.

Victoria smirks playfully, "I think you can safely claim ownership of the majority."

I roll my eyes good naturedly at her, "I meant the other ones."

Her amused expression fades when she realizes I'm not going to drop this and she sighs as she reluctantly admits, "On my way back, I got jumped by two assholes."

_I should have been there to protect her. Yet another time you've failed to protect the person you care for, Max._

"Let me guess, these assholes are no longer with us," I offer up. If they aren't dead already, I would make it my mission to track them down and personally deal with them myself.

She grins, "Bingo."

I squeeze her, placing a small kiss to her shoulder, "Aren't you my little fighter?"

With my desire refueled I lean over and kiss her again, pulling gently at her bottom lip. Victoria needs little incentive to return my feelings. She starts to deepen the kiss, but pulls away much to my disappointment, "Don't start something you can't finish, Caulfield. We have important business to attend to."

My infamous nosiness gets the better of me and I decide to bite, "Like what?"

Victoria leans on her elbow and shuffles onto her side to face me, "I know who sent those guys."

At this information every fiber of my being demanding revenge, "Who?"

"Logan," she replies offhandedly as she absentmindedly examines her nails.

My eyebrows shoot upwards in surprise, "Are you serious?"

While Logan was a sleazy, perverted bastard, he was first and foremost a spineless coward. The thought that he'd make such a bold move against us is almost unbelievable.

Victoria nods in confirmation, "Yep."

_I didn't think he'd have the balls to do something like this. He's probably just pissed that Victoria and I aren't interested. That seems like a petty enough reason for him to send someone after us._

"Would you happen to know where he is by any chance?" I ask, desperate to tear Logan limb from limb from hurting Victoria.

"Maybe…" she hesitates.

I tenderly kiss her again, trying to tease the information from her, "Well, what would I have to do to get this information?"

Victoria's brow furrows slightly as she averts her gaze, "You… you have to take me out somewhere nice."

_This is… unexpected to say the least._

I am taken aback by her request, "Somewhere… nice in a zombie apocalypse?"

She shrugs, a light blush creeping onto her cheeks, "If you're there, it will be nice, wherever we are."

I nudge her teasingly, "Look at you getting all sentimental. I never thought I'd see the day."

_It's been pretty clear to me that our arrangement is strictly, how shall I put this… business. A way to blow off steam with no strings attached. I guess we were both just lonely. We've both lost a lot and so this kind of arrangement seemed like a good move. You don't get too attached but you have someone to just be there for you. Recently, she seems to have changed tact, not that I'm complaining._

Her shoulders hunch a bit as she mumbles into my neck, "Well, maybe I would just like to keep a hold of the one good thing in my life."

My eyes widen at her admission. I have never seen Victoria act like this and never thought I would. She looks so vulnerable right now, which is vastly different from what I am used to seeing from her. Even though we have been as physically and emotionally exposed as anyone possibly can be, she had always been so wary of showing all her cards. This sudden show of unguarded emotion is shocking to say the least.

I lean over and kiss her cheek, "Sure. I'll find somewhere for my girl. I mean, there has to be one decent place in this godforsaken hell hole, right?"

"If there is, Max Caulfield is the one who will find it," she chuckles heartily.

My lip quirks upwards into a smirk, "You know me well. I'm always one for cheesy romantic sentiment. I'm glad you're finally coming round to the idea."

"Don't push your luck, Caulfield. I have no qualms making you sleep on the couch tonight," she playfully threatens.

I give her my best puppy dog eyes and tilt my head slightly to the side, "You wouldn't really do that, would you?"

Victoria tries her best to look away, but fails miserably and sighs in defeat, "No."

I grin and absentmindedly start to play with Victoria's hair, "Good, because I'd be cold and lonely."

_If anyone else did this, they wouldn't survive. I remember the first time we… uh… became intimate, I nearly got my hand bitten off for messing up Victoria's hair. It was kind of scary, but she eventually let it slide. Now, she's fine with it, dare I say she likes it. Sure she still protests, but if I stop she asks why._

Victoria moves closer and drapes her arm across me as she presses her lips against mine, "We couldn't have that now, could we?"

* * *

We make our way down the streets, lost hopes and dreams paving our way. The decrepit buildings loom over us, casting the shadows in which we so willfully walk. Nature has reclaimed the land we so unjustly took from her. Vegetation intertwines with brick, slowly breaking its way through, pulling thousands of years of human invasion apart. It's so beautiful, life pushing its way back through all the death and destruction.

_Ok, no time to be a beat poet here, Max._

My pace slows as my mind wanders back to my little analogue camera I used to carry around like an extended limb. It broke a long time ago soon after the outbreak, well I smashed it if I am going to be completely truthful. As soon as Kate… left, I lost my desire to capture the world around me. All I could see was pain and death, the color completely draining away. It was after her funeral. I decided to do it near the lighthouse, Kate always loved it there. It's where we officially exchanged our rings, where we celebrate our love, where... I dug her grave by hand. Warren offered to help, but I refused. In my anger, I threw my camera off the cliff. I didn't want to take pictures anymore if she wasn't in them. I still carry the photos of her I managed to salvage before we tried to escape, I couldn't bring myself to get rid of them.

_I can't forget her smile._

I can hear Victoria sigh, pulling me out of my thought, "We have time for sightseeing later. We need to get to that checkpoint."

"Yeah. Let's go," I agree distractedly.

As we press on down the main street, an armored truck drives past us and an electronic voice rings through the air from the speaker system dotted around the quarantine zone.

**Attention. Citizens are required to carry a current ID at all times. Compliance with all city personnel is mandatory.**

Ever since the outbreak, military "governments" set up places such as these. I use the term government very loosely. It was a term used to disguise dictatorship. They used to hide this fact, when there was hope. Now, they don't even bother to hide it anymore.

_We are all too far gone. The world is how it is and nothing will change._

A long line snakes through the streets leading up to a small enclosed area where rations are being distributed, with armed guards overseeing everything. The people queuing up, their faces gaunt and their eyes lifeless, mutter and mumble amongst themselves.

Victoria turns her head slightly to face me, "Look at that. The ration line hasn't opened yet. Must be running low on food again."

A woman walks towards an armed figure, "How much longer?"

The figure sighs boredly, "Lady, the rations arrive when they arrive. I don't have control over it, so quit whining and just wait in line."

She walks back to her spot, frustration in her eyes at the cryptic answer she received. There have been several riots across the country because of food shortages. The military has been strong enough to suppress any unrest and most people have been beaten into submission.

_I wonder how much longer it will be until there is nothing left. I don't know how we've all survived so far to be honest._

As we continue on down the street a door to the left opens up. Two armed soldiers push a small group of people out onto the street, demanding that they fall to their knees. One of the captives tries to escape, but he is grabbed violently by the nearest guard, "On the ground. NOW!"

The man struggles, "Let go of me."

The soldier hits the man with the butt of his gun, causing his knees to buckle, "Put your hands on your fucking head."

Another soldier takes out a small device, one used to check people for any presence of the infection. He scans the group thoroughly, each time coming up negative until he reaches the last person. A high-pitched beep echoes through the street.

"Got a live one," the soldier mutters as he motions for the others to hold the man trying to escape earlier steady.

"No, please," he begs, "I'm not infected I'm not-" his pleas are silenced as a gunshot penetrates the air. My brow furrows as the scene plays out. The military show no mercy or guilt. Once you register as infected, that's it.

Victoria walks closer to me and reaches out for my hand. I grab it firmly as she mutters, "I fucking hate this."

"I know, I do to. Let's just stick together, ok?" I whisper softly as I glance over at her. She looks so worn out and sad that it makes my heart constrict painfully.

I squeeze her hand gently, making her look up from the floor and offer me a small melancholic smile, "Yeah."

We make our way over to the checkpoint where a guard stops us as is protocol, "Good evening ladies. Where are you headed today?"

"Just to meet some friends," I answer.

The guard nods, "I'll need to see some ID first," we grab our IDs from our bags and pass them over to the guard, who inspects them with a scrutinizing stare. Seemingly satisfied, her hands them back over, "Well, that checks out. Be safe out th-" his words are cut off by a loud explosion as the truck in front of us just outside the heavily guarded border explodes.

The guard slams his hand down on the emergency shutdown button for the gate and motions for us to get away, "Get out of here. GO!"

"It's the Fireflies! Fuckin' shoot 'em!" another voice shouts among the gunfire as a siren wails through the air.

**Attention. Checkpoint Five is now closed until further notice. All civilians must clear the surrounding are immediately.**

_So much for the easy way. Why is it never easy? Just once can't something go my way? It's not too much to ask, is it?_

Victoria grabs my hand and drags me away from the gate, "Max, come on, let's get out of here," she pulls me through a door on the other side of the street and I close it behind us. Victoria leans against the door, exhaling deeply, "Well, that went as well as could be expected," she looks down at my hand to find a small cut, blood gently trickles from it. I wipe at it with my finger and she passes me a plaster from her bag, "Here. Patch yourself up alright."

"Can't you just kiss it better?" I mention half-jokingly.

She rolls her eyes, suppressing a smile as she grabs my hand and kisses the cut, "Better?"

I grin at her, "Much better."

She shakes her head and smiles as I place the plaster over the cut, "Good. Now we have to move quickly. They're going to close all the checkpoints. We're going to have to take the scenic route, which I'm sure you will be all over."

Footsteps echo through the hallway as we walk through it. The yellowing wallpaper is peeling from the walls and light seeps through cracks in the walls and ceiling.

_I wonder if anyone still lives here._

Victoria walks ahead of me, still managing to keep that air of pride and superiority even after everything she has experienced. It's strange to think that just over five years ago, we were at each other's throats. Oh, the teen drama. We met up again about two years ago by complete accident. I got caught in a fight with some raiders. They wounded me and I thought that was it for me, that I was finally going to join Kate again. I wanted to so badly. I had thought about… ending it all before then, but I know Kate wouldn't have wanted that, especially after what happened to her so I held out for her sake. I blacked out and when I woke up, I was in a tent. A group of survivors had been tracking these raiders for a few days, trying to stop them from stealing their supplies. Once they wiped out the raiders, they came across me and took me back to their camp, apparently they had seen me fight and were impressed, said that they needed competent fighters to protect the camp.

My first shift I was put on with Victoria. It was a huge shock for both of us. It took a while not to fall into old habits again and just fight. We got punished for fighting more times than I can count. I remember one time we had to clean the toilets for a week. Not fun. We kept getting put on the same missions to "improve our team work". Little did I know how much it would improve our "teamwork". We started talking on a less antagonistic basis and made a pretty good team. We certainly made an impression on the guys in command. One night, some of the salvage guys came back with some alcohol they had found, it was pretty good stuff too. I drank way more than I could manage, so did Victoria, although to this day she still denies it. We ended up hooking up. It was kind of awkward for a few days after and I avoided speaking to her because I was so embarrassed. Victoria literally had to corner me to get me to talk about it. We agreed that we would continue to "see" each other, but that it was be on… how did Victoria put it? "A strictly carnal basis".

We went through a lot of tough situations together over the next year or so and we slowly opened up to each other. I told her about Kate and she told me about everything that had happened to her. We grew closer and things went from there. Both of us were alone and needed someone to just be there.

_I think… I am slowly falling in love again and maybe Victoria is too._

My eyes slowly move down to her butt and shake my head vigorously.

_Get your head out of the gutter, Max._

"Hurry up Caulfield, what are you doing back there?" Victoria calls back to me over her shoulder.

"Just checking out… something," I vaguely answer.

Victoria slows down, narrowing her eyes skeptically at me, "Oh, and what is this… something?"

I walk faster to catch up with her and hug her from behind. I lean close to her ear, gently nibbling at her earlobe, "You."

"Were you staring at my butt again?" she asks in a playfully accusatory tone.

"Maaaaaybe," I admit, "I can't help it."

Victoria smiles coyly at me, "Later, Caulfield. As much as I would love to do this, we really have to get a move on. Besides, I don't want anyone walking in on us."

"Oh, but that's half the fun, spoilsport," I tease as I loosen my hold on her.

As we press on down the hallway, a voice calls out to us, "Victoria," a girl with long blonde hair steps out from the shadows.

"Taylor," Victoria moves towards Taylor and hugs her, "I'm so glad you're ok. I was worried."

Taylor is yet another familiar face. She's been friends with Victoria ever since they were teens and had been travelling together for a long time.

Taylor pulls away and walks alongside us, "Where are you headed?"

"We are going to pay Logan a visit," Victoria clarifies.

Taylor looks confused, "You too? I didn't realize he was so popular."

"Who else is looking for him?" I question curiously.

"Nathan."

Victoria looks over at Taylor with a confused expression, "Nathan? What do the Fireflies want with Logan?"

Taylor shrugs, "Beats me. You'll have to ask him when you see him," she stops abruptly and motions to a side door, "This is where I get off. See you round. Take care of yourself," she turns to me, "You too, Max."

We wave Taylor off as she enters the door on the left hand side and press on. Victoria turns to me with a mildly worried look, "Whatever Nathan wants with Logan can't be good."

"Then we had better get a move on," I say as I notice a light from near the end of the corridor.

We turn left into a room to find Courtney, another one of Victoria's friends, sitting on the broken couch, "Hey Victoria. How's everything?"

Victoria sighs, "Shit's stirring up out there."

"I hear you," Courtney comments sympathetically," Luckily, everything here is good. No signs of military or infected."

Victoria smiles at this, "That's what I like to hear."

She walks over to a bookcase resting against the wall. When I don't immediately follow her, she impatiently taps her foot on the ground, "You going to help or are you just going to stand there and watch?"

I lean against the wall just to the right of the bookcase, "I think I'll watch. You know, enjoy the view," Victoria looks sternly at me as I hold my hands up resignedly and laugh, "It was a joke. Don't hit me."

"I'll consider it," she chuckles as we grab hold of the bookcase and move it, revealing a hole in the wall leading into the adjacent building.

I hold out my arm towards the hole, "Ladies first."

She narrows her eyes suspiciously at me, "Is this just a way of you getting to check me out discreetly again?"

I grin cheekily at her and click my fingers, "Damn, my secret has been discovered."

Victoria gently pushes me and enters the hole in the wall. I follow after her and drop down into the shallow hole in the floor just a few feet from where we entered. She shakes her arms, trying her best to dry off and sighs in frustration, "Ugh. This place is disgusting. Of course, I got water on my cashmere, yet again. Why does it only ever happen when I'm around you?"

I hold my hands up, "Hey, it's not my fault… this time," I rummage around in my bag and grab my flashlight, "Let there be…" I switch it on, rays of dim white light illuminating the area before me.

Victoria shakes her head as she makes her way over to a small wooden worktable with two bags sitting on it, "Max, you are such a nerd."

"Let's grab our gear," I suggest as I walk over to the table. I pick up the gun I had stashed in the bag and check the clip, finding it almost empty from our last adventure which is never a good sign, "Not a lot of ammo."

Victoria grabs her bag and slings it over her shoulder, "Well, you'll just have to make your shots count."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no. Victoria's cashmere has yet again been ruined. However shall she survive?
> 
> Have a great day guys and see you next time.


	4. Don't Look Back (E)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Victoria find Logan, but things don't go as planned. When do they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. This chapter will have some violence, mentions of blood and death, so heads up.

**Chapter Four: Don't Look Back**

**Max's POV – Underground Tunnel**

Victoria walks around the corner and I follow close her. We stop in front of a wall that leads up to a higher level and she turns back to me, "Alright, boost me up. Oh and you had better not check out my butt again."

I smirk at her mischievously as I make a cradle with my hands, "I can't make any promises."

Victoria puts her foot in my hands and I lift her up. She grabs onto the top and pulls herself up, then holds down her hand to help me up. Once we've finally made our way up, we carefully step along the creaking wooden floorboards. This room probably used to be a diner of some sort given the booths that are fixed against the wall and bar counter sat opposite the exit. I go over and inspect it, never one to pass up the opportunity to investigate. Behind the counter there is mostly empty bottles, pieces of broken glass and dirty rags, however there is one thing that catches my attention I could use.

_Ah-ha! I bet I can use this later._

I grab a bottle full of alcohol, not the good stuff I might add, and stash it in my bag.

"In your own time, Max," Victoria calls over to me impatiently and I quickly follow her outside into an abandoned backstreet. No matter how many times I venture out into the big bad world, I never get over how beautiful and breath taking it is around here with the various plants and vines twisting around the graveyard of dilapidated buildings and refuse. Nature has truly taken over.

_Even though the world has gone to shit, nobody can deny that this sight is beyond compare. Shame about the infected though._

After my slight moment of awe and a quick check to make sure that we won't be bumping into any unwanted guests aka infected, raiders and other desperate survivors, I match Victoria's steps as she softly comments almost under her breath, "We haven't been out here for a while."

A small smile tugs at my lips as I reach out for her hand, "It's like we're on a date," she rolls her eyes, but grabs it anyway, our fingers intertwining as I gently rub my thumb on the back of her hand, "Well, I am the romantic type after all."

Victoria turns to face me with a look of wry amusement, "You've got your ways."

I laugh, used to her mock snide remarks by now, and put on a hurt expression, "Ouch, that hurts when you say it like that."

She simply offers me a fleeting grin as we continue along the street before coming across a murky pool of water just a little way to our right, an abandoned rusted car covered in plants sitting on the edge. There is nothing worth salvaging from it so I pay it no further mind.

"Do you think Logan is even still here?" Victoria asks curiously, lightly squeezing my hand to get my attention but also get some reassurance. She has had a few run ins with Logan before, none of them pleasant, so she'd probably rather not be actively seeking him out again if she could help it.

_Still, this could be a way to… permanently solve that problem._

My resolve hardens with each step I take and I firmly return her squeeze, "He had better, or I'm going to track him down until I find him. Either way, he is going to pay."

"I hope so," Victoria sighs deeply, gently swinging the hand currently holding mine, "God knows I hate that asshole, more now than ever."

After about half an hour or so of navigating around the dirty and dingy streets, we make it to a side alleyway leading onto a small open area hidden among the tall buildings, filled to the brim with people. This is a major trade centre for this new world we live in, with those lucky enough to come by a skill or possess something that is useful nowadays setting up a makeshift stall. This ranges from questionable food to selling dogs for protection purposes and to sniff out items, there is even a closed off area where people can place bets on fights, both to let off steam and to take everyone's minds off of things.

_Dog knows we all need a distraction or two with all the shit going on now._

It isn't just the infected everybody has to worry about, in fact they are probably the least of everyone's problems. The undead are predictable and therefore easy to decide how to deal with, you kill them before they kill you. Living people though… they are the mystery. It is hard to tell who is friend and who is foe. Very few people actually want to genuinely help, most using it as a guise to get what they want. For those who had still retained some of their humanity in dark times like this, they avoid killing humans where possible as it just seems wrong… others really couldn't care less by this point, that applied for the Military, raiders and independent groups such as the Fireflies. That list grows longer with each passing day as more and more people realize that this is the way of the world now. Most just care about themselves and those closest to them, which is the ethos I have been following ever since this outbreak occurred and I had my first really taste of human nature.

A tall, well-built man with long dark hair and the beginnings of a beard stands near the alleyway entrance casually leaning against the wall. When he sees Victoria approach, he walks over to her and leers, "Hey, Victoria. How's it going?"

I can almost sense the aura of irritation radiating from Victoria, "Not now, Zach," she blows him off and storms ahead, leaving him looking pissed as he mutters to himself. I quickly follow after her and catch her angry muttering, "God, why can't he just leave me the fuck alone?"

I flex my arms and punch my hand as we walk, putting on my most threatening and gruffest voice, "You want me to take care of him."

Victoria laughs at my display, "Maybe next time. Thanks though," she breaks out into a genuine smile, all the previous tension and anger fading away almost immediately, "It's nice to know someone has my back."

"I have more than that," I cheekily comment as I raise my eyebrow suggestively, which earns me a playful eye roll and a light punch to my arm.

Now that we are in the main part, I hear dogs barking and turn to locate the noise. A man with dirty blonde hair and a straggly beard stands in front of a pen. When I go over to him, he nods in acknowledgement, "Sorry, Max. I've sold the last one. You'll have to wait till next time."

I offer him a small smile and wave away his apology, "That's ok, Frank. How's Pompidou?"

Right on cue, Pompidou comes bounding up to me. He leaps at me, knocking me over and happily licks at my face, "Hey Pompidou," I pat his head and he leans into my touch, panting heavily as well as drooling everywhere. Before, I may have considered it a bit gross, but now given that I stroll around with blood, dirt and guts all over me, and that's not even the worst, it's not like I can complain about a little dog slobber. Frank is the local dog dealer, among other things. He used to really scare me, but I saved him from a bunch of raiders last week and ever since then he's been friendly towards me.

_It's hard to tell who is an enemy and who is an ally in this new world. When you find allies, you have to stick close. It's eat or be eaten. The more support you have, the stronger you are._

"Is your leg doing better?" I ask, knowing that in the fight, one of the raiders stabbed him in the leg. He's really lucky it didn't hit a major artery and that there was someone around to tend to his wounds immediately. He could have easily become a member of the groaning Undead team if not.

"It's getting there," he grumbles as he pats his thigh lightly, "I can sort of walk on it now."

Victoria clears her throat, not-so-subtly signaling for me to hurry up. I smile at him apologetically, "I have to go now. Catch you later," I wrestle Pompidou off of my lap, who looks sadly at me with his ears pressed down, "Don't worry, I'll be back. Maybe I can bring you some treats next time," Pompidou wags his tail as I tickle him under the chin, "I thought that might cheer you up."

Frank puts a hand on my shoulder to stop me from shooting off, "Stay safe out there, Max. When my next shipment of dogs comes in, I'll let you know," I wave at him as we proceed down another dingy alleyway, its walls covered in various graffiti.

_**Remember who we were.** _

_Who I was died a long time ago… with Kate._

A symbol is drawn next to it, the Fireflies' symbol. They are a group who want to get rid of this militant dictatorship we have found ourselves in. Recently it seems like they have been struggling, the vast majority of their leaders having been executed… or worse.

"Max, he's there," Victoria whispers and beckons me over to a glassless window. I peer over the rotted sill and see Logan waiting in the back alley, "I talked to some people. He's been doing this a lot recently. Providing supplies, getting ration cards, then sending people to "eliminate" the customer and reclaiming the goods, only to do it again. We need to get the location of the next shipment from him before we exact our revenge. Those guns weren't cheap. We need to do it before he does something stupid."

I smirk at her, "He already has done something. He fucked with us," we swiftly and silently step out into the alleyway, "Hello, Logan."

He swivels his head around. At first, his face shows fear, but then it turns to a disgusting leer, "Hello, ladies. To what do I owe the pleasure? Did you finally decide to take me up on my offer?"

Victoria makes a disgusted noise and crosses her arms across her chest, "Not in a million years."

He steps close to her, "You know you want to Victoria. I've seen the way you look at me," he reaches out to touch her.

_I won't let him touch her with his filthy hands!_

Without hesitation, my fists clench and I punch him square in the nose. He collapses to the floor as a loud bone crunching crack pierces the air along with a groan of pain, "Ow, my nose. You fucking bitch."

I stamp on his hand hard, which makes him cry out in pain and crouch down beside him. I lean in close, my voice cold and threatening, "We don't have time for this. Tell us where they are," when he hesitates, I stand up and smash my foot down on his ribs, "The guns. Where are they?"

He yelps and breathes heavily for a few moments, "Alright, look it's complicated…"

I stamp on his face, "I don't like complicated."

He shouts out and writhes on the floor. He has a huge gash on his nose now, blood pouring from it as he lays there and mutters thickly, "Sold them. Had no choice."

I lean in close to his face, my blue eyes steely to show that I am not messing around, and growl through gritted teeth, "Who has them?"

He grimaces at me before something flashes in his eyes I really don't like the look of, "You know, Max, you look so cute when you're angry. It's turning me on."

I grab his throat and squeeze, "Am I still going to look cute with your blood and brains splattered all over my face? It can be arranged."

His face goes pale, all smugness long since gone, and I loosen my hold so that he can answer me, "The Fireflies. I owed them. I had no choice."

I shake my head solemnly, "No, you had a choice. You chose the wrong one," I take my pistol out of the back holster and aim it at his face, pulling the trigger without a second thought, "No-one fucks with us and lives. It's a shame you only learned that now."

I take a deep breath and put my gun away before making my way back over to Victoria to check up on her, "You ok?"

She hugs me fiercely and I can feel her shaking a bit against me, "I am now," I hold onto her tightly, much happier now that bastard is dead. She pulls back ever so slightly, an impish glint in her eyes, "You know, even though Logan was a fucking pig, he was right. You do look sexy when you're angry," she leans in and kisses me gently at first, then more firmly.

"Good to know," I breath as I reach up and touch her cheek.

She offers me a small smile, "Let's get our merchandise back."

"How?"

Victoria is silent for a while, stroking her chin thoughtfully before she offers, "We find a Firefly."

Just as I am about to ask her how she would even begin trying to find one, a voice comes from behind us, "You won't have to look far," we turn back and see a boy with blonde hair, Nathan Prescott the leader of the Fireflies.

"That was easier than expected," I comment in mild surprise. Things don't usually go so smoothly.

Nathan stands there, looking pissed off. His hand covers his side as blood leaks from the wound, "What the fuck do you want?"

Victoria paces up to him with a practiced stony expression, "Business. You don't look good."

Nathan's jaw tightens and his hands clench as his eyes scan the alleyway, "Where's Logan?"

She moves over to reveal Logan's mutilated body on the floor behind us, "Does that answer your question?"

His brow furrows in annoyance as his eyes fall on Logan, "I needed him fucking alive!"

Victoria looks on disinterestedly, "He gave you something that was not his to give. We need those guns back."

He takes a deep breath and mutters to himself, pacing up and down. He stops abruptly and turns to us, "If you want them back, you have to earn them."

Victoria glances over at me. I shrug as she turns back to Nathan, "How many ration cards are we talking?"

Nathan shakes his head, grimacing, "I don't give a fuck about cards. I want something smuggled out of the city."

I take a step forward, "How do we know you've got them? The Fireflies been doing so good recently, have they?"

"Fine, I'll show you them. Follow me," he grumbles in irritation and begins to hobble back the way he came. Victoria and I exchange questioning glances as well as a subtle shrug before we follow, our hands hovering over our weapons just in case.

_You can never be too careful nowadays._

After making our way through a few raiders blocking our path, taking them out as swiftly and quietly as possible so as not to draw unwanted attention to ourselves, we finally make it to an old abandoned building. Following Nathan, Victoria and I climb a small set of stairs leading up to a heavy looking metal door.

"What are we smuggling exactly?" I ask as we make it to the top.

"Wait a fucking minute," Nathan sneers at my impatience before slumping against the wall, clutching at his wounded side with a pained grimace.

"You ok?" I ask, debating whether to help him up or not.

He groans in pain and swears under his breath, "Does it look like I fucking am?" he rummages around in one of his pockets and thrusts a rusted metal key with quivering blood-soaked fingers in my direction, "You're going to have to open it."

I sigh at the added complication and take the key from him, using it to open the door only to find that the room is empty apart from a few items of beat-up furniture and the usual collection of debris such as old bottle, needles and covering the floor.

_What the…?_

I feel something cold and sharp at my neck along with hearing a low, threatening growl at my ear, "If you move just one inch, it's over for you."

Having no other choice, I hold my hands up to signal that I mean no harm, "Ok, ok. I'm not going to move."

Out of the corner of my eye I see Nathan come into the room, leaning against Victoria for support, "Leave it, Chloe."

An angry voice comes from behind me and the cold metal presses further into my neck, getting dangerously close to my jugular, "Don't tell me what to fucking do."

Nathan winces as he hobbles over to a table with Victoria's help, propping himself against it, "Look, I'd rather not be here either, but we have to continue the plan, ok?"

After a tense moment the cold object is removed from my neck much to my relief, which turns out to be a knife just as I suspected it to be. I rub at the spot where the blade had been, which was probably pretty red by now from the pressure. It's not the first death threat I have received and it probably won't be the last either. You can't go around holding it personally either. People are scared and will do anything to keep themselves safe. If my attacker had wanted to, they could have easily slit my throat then and there, job done.

After catching my breath and when my heart finally slows, I turn around to see a woman standing there. She's around 5'9 with azure blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair. She must be at least in her mid-twenties and wears a black jacket with a once white skull t-shirt, ripped gray pants, a worn beanie hat and military style boots. A bullet necklace hangs around her neck and I can see part of a tattoo on her right arm.

_I wonder what it is._

She looks completely pissed off by the interruption, jabbing her thumb at Victoria and I while regarding us with a disapproving look "What are they doing here?"

Nathan grimaces in pain as he adjusts himself to look at Chloe, "As you can see, I'm in no position to take the journey. I need someone to go with you."

She strides over to him, her brow furrowed in exasperation and her expression annoyed, "I can go on my own. I don't need a baby sitter."

Nathan coughs, blood trickling from his mouth which he wipes away with his sleeve. It's kind of sad to watch really, especially given the stories about Nathan Prescott, the fearless leader of the Fireflies. His deeds precede him, and not always for good reasons. However, there is only so much stock you can take in rumor, especially with the immense censorship, "We can't afford to fuck up. You know that."

Chloe grits her teeth, obviously not happy with the arrangement but unable to successfully protest against it. I move closer to them as the implications of his words sink in, still a bit wary of the knife now attached to Chloe's belt considering that it could have been the weapon of choice in my murder just a few seconds ago, "Wait, we are smuggling her?"

Nathan turns his attention to me with a sigh, "There's a crew of Fireflies that'll meet you in a specific location, which is mark on this map," he takes out a folded piece of paper and puts it on the table. The map is covered in almost indecipherable scribbled notes and various areas are marked out in different colored pen.

Victoria approaches the map to have a good look over it, her expression becoming troubled as she locates the final drop-off point, "That's not close."

He glares at her angrily, "Do you want the fucking guns or not?"

After a brief stare off between them, Victoria grabs my arm and leads me to the corner away from Nathan and Chloe no doubt to discuss our options, "What do you make of this?"

I bite my lip, feeling a bit skeptical about this whole thing, "It seems really strange. Why would the Fireflies want to smuggle her?"

She shrugs casually, "I don't know, but we need those guns…" a small smirk forms on her face as she briefly glances back over her shoulder at Chloe, who seems to be having a heated discussion with Nathan about this, "…besides, she's kind of cute, and I'm digging the tattoo."

My eyebrows raise in shock at this, "What?"

"Don't you think so?" she asks with mild amusement and I can't quite tell if she's being serious or just trying to rile me up... probably both knowing Victoria. I discreetly look over to check her out again. When she's not pressing a knife to my neck, I have to admit that she does look pretty hot, if a little scary given her resting pissed off expression, but still…

"I guess," I weakly admit, not sure what the right answer is here.

Victoria smiles coyly, "Who knows what could happen? You don't meet a hot girl like that every day, Max. We need to enjoy ourselves while we can. Maybe she will want to join us in certain… activities."

I push her shoulder playfully, "You are out of control."

She grins at me cheekily, "I'm kidding, Max," her hand brushes up against mine, our fingers briefly interlocking, "I only need you."

I lean in closer to her, "I don't need anyone else either. You're already a handful. I really don't know where you get your stamina from," Victoria nudges me in response, laughing and my lip quirks upwards into a fleeting smile before turning to the task at hand once more, "We need those guns," I concede, feeling as if I have signed my soul away for some reason.

Victoria smiles, then turns to Nathan ready to talk business which is a strong point for her, "I want to see the guns first."

Nathan shifts slightly, "Fine. It'll give me a chance to get patched up. Chloe has to stay here though."

I glance over to Chloe, who looks less than pleased about this arrangement. It's not like I can blame her or anything. Not being in control of your own actions and movements is frustrating to say the least.

Victoria nods in agreement to the terms, "I'll go with you. Max you stay here and keep an eye on things," she gives me a firm hug while whispering in my ear, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," she winks at me and strides over to Nathan, the pair of them leaving back out through the door. This leaves me alone with Chloe, who is silently seething about being left behind. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a bed. It looks a bit unstable, like its seen better days, but that is the usual standard of items now.

_I may as well get some sleep while we wait._

I walk over to the bed and flop down onto the thin mattress, the slightly rotted wooden frame groaning under the sudden extra weight. The haziness begins to overwhelm my mind and body as I let myself relax, well as much as I can in these circumstances.

_Dog, I need to get a good night's sleep. Am I even capable of doing that?_

A voice rouses me from my desire to just close my eyes and sleep for a whole month, "So…" I shuffle back and reposition myself so that I am sat up against the headboard to face Chloe, who is currently resting against the wall closest to the bedroom door as she gives me a once over, "how'd you get involved in all this?"

I rub my temples to alleviate the very obvious headache forming, "Does it matter?"

She shrugs at my hostile tone, "I was just curious."

I sigh deeply, hating that I sounded like a total asshole just now. Chloe doesn't deserve my rage, it's just so easy to snap when you're running low on sleep, smell like a sewer and in a constant state of hunger. Victoria and I argue as much as we get along because of the stress, but we always have each other's backs when it counts. In an attempt to rectify my earlier short tempered tone I clarify, "Someone fucked us over with a deal. They sold the cargo to the Fireflies, a decision that ended poorly for them. This is our way of getting it back."

She sticks her hands in her pockets, "Sounds rough."

"Yeah," I breathe as I rub at my face before echoing her question, "What about you?"

She takes her left hand out of her pocket and begins inspecting her chipped nails, "I joined the Fireflies as soon as I could. I hate authority. Always have, always will."

I laugh lightly as I feel my eyes close, "I hadn't guessed."

Chloe chuckles when I shake my head violently to remain awake, "Someone looks tired."

I crack my neck and roll my shoulders, "You could say that. I guess I may as well, it looks like they are going to take a while," I pat the space beside me on the bed coaxingly, "You should catch some z's too."

She looks hesitant at first, but eventually comes over to the bed, "I guess you're right," she sits down on the moldy mattress and lays on her side near the edge at first. I lay there for a few moments, staring up at the ceiling while she adjusts herself, finally settling for facing the middle of the bed on her side. I soon hear her slow, even breathing beside me and glance over. She looks so peaceful, unlike when she was awake.

_What has happened to her? I guess what's happened to everyone. We've lost people we care about._

My eyes finally close with this thought running through my mind.

* * *

"Max!" a cheerful voice rings out into the air, causing my eyes to open abruptly to inspect.

Before me I see a familiar sight, the waves reflecting the light as the sun descends behind the horizon and the cool breeze rustles my hair. I glance down to see that I am sat down on a red checked blanket positioned on a cliff top and notice a plastic bag at my feet. Just to my right is a looming lighthouse which has seen better days, the door blocked off. This can only be one place… Arcadia Bay.

_What the…?_

I turn to my left now to the smiling face of someone I never thought I would be able to see again… Kate Marsh, "It seems you've returned to us. Welcome back," she grabs hold of my arm as her smile widens.

My mind whirs as it tries to process this scene, "Kate…"

She gazes at me, love and adoration in her hazel eyes, which are so bright and alive now, "It took you long enough. You were miles away."

_I am so confused right now. What the fuck is going on?_

"Kate, what are you doing here?" my voice wavers as I speak, thick with emotion while I push back tears.

She looks at me confused, one blonde eyebrow raised in that way I find so endearing, "We're celebrating your birthday, remember?"

_Are we?_

Kate scoots over and leans her head on my shoulder, "Yep. Your twentieth birthday, and our one-year anniversary too. Remember, we said we would combine them so you wouldn't forget? Technically it's not until next week, but it's close enough."

_My… twentieth birthday and our… one-year anniversary? That can't be right. That was five years ago… wasn't it?_

She laughs cheerfully at my bewildered expression, "You are so forgetful, Max. You would forget your head if it wasn't screwed on."

_Was that all a terrible dream? If it was, that was so fucked up. Thank god._

I sigh in relief as Kate grabs hold of my hand, feeling like both laughing and crying at the same time now. I offer her a dorky grin before looking down at out intertwined hands, finding hers covered in blood. My eyes widen in shock and I recoil from her, "Kate… your hand…"

_None of this makes any sense._

She looks down with a disinterested expression at her hand, "Oh, don't worry about that," I know notice her once white shirt is also stained red and there is a bullet sized hole. She flashes me a twisted grin that doesn't fit her at all, in fact it is even scarier because of her mild manner and kind heart, "It's not like you really care anyway. I mean, it was your fault after all."

_My… my fault?_

I try to pull away, but she clamps down on my hand with a vice-like grip to prevent me from leaving, "What?" my voice comes out as a strangled squeak.

An empty smile plastered to Kate's face as her grip on my hand tightens, "You could have stopped this from happening, but you didn't. You let me die."

I gently shake my head, "What? No… no…"

Kate moves her head slightly to the side, "Yes, Max. Not that you care. I mean you've moved on pretty quickly with your life, and with someone who nearly tormented me to death. I'm glad that I meant so little to you."

_What? No. That's not true._

"Kate…"

Her face darkens considerably, "If it wasn't for you, I would still be here. My blood is on your hands, Max."

I look down at my now blood stained hands, "No…"

Kate puts on a mocking expression, one that doesn't suit her delicate features, "Oh, poor Max. Having to live with the knowledge that she killed the person she loved. It must hurt to realize this. You leave nothing but a trail of destruction behind you. Everyone you love will die and it will be all your fault," she stares me directly in the eye with a cruel smirk, "Just like with me."

* * *

I gasp as I sit up abruptly and examine my surroundings. The nature setting of the cliff face had been replaced by a peeling wall. It takes a moment, but I finally remember where I am and why I'm here.

_It was a dream. Just a dream._

I exhale and run my fingers through my hair, which is in desperate need of a wash, only able to feel relieved for a moment before the pang of loss begins to overwhelm me, my heart constricting painfully as Kate's sweet face and soul healing smile runs through my mind.

"You mumble in your sleep," I lift my head to find Chloe stood by the window in the room, the cracked glass streaked with rain. I sit up and shuffle to the edge of the bed as she turns back to continue with a tentative tone, "I hate bad dreams."

I place my head in my hands, rubbing my face before standing up, "Yeah, me too," I walk over to join her by the window, watching as the rain droplets pelt against the window. Darkness has engulfed the once blue sky.

"I find the rain calming; I don't know why," she mumbles as she looks out of the glass to the outside world.

_I don't think after what happened with Kate on the roof that I could ever find rain in any way pleasant._

Pushing the disturbing image out of my mind I turn to her, a question I've been wondering about for a while demanding an answer, "What do the Fireflies want with you?"

Before she has a chance to answer, the door creaks behind us. We both turn our attention to it and catch Victoria entering the building. When she notices me, a slight smile quirks at her lips and she comes over to us.

"You've been a while," I mention as she leans against a wall beside us. My eyes roam over her, checking to see if she's been injured at all. Thankfully, I don't see any additional wounds which is comforting.

She lets out a weary sigh before replying, "There were fucking soldiers everywhere. I saw the merchandise. There is a lot."

_I guess the only thing left to do is get this show on the road._

I glance over to Chloe, who offers up a small nod signaling that she is ready when we are, "Ok, let's go."

* * *

After wandering around in the underground tunnels for what seemed like an eternity, we finally make it to the surface. We sneak forward, slowly and cautiously always on the lookout for both infected and living people. There hasn't really been much in the way of small talk, all of us tense and too focused on getting to our destination to bother with it. While Victoria brushed of mine and Chloe's encounter earlier, I can tell that Chloe threatening me with a knife did not put her in Victoria's good books, even though she knows the attack was in self-defense.

"So, Chloe. What's the deal with you? You some bigwig's daughter or something?" Victoria finally asks to break the silence as we press on in our journey.

Chloe turns to Victoria with an indecipherable expression, "Something like that."

A short tunnel comes into view ahead and I enter it first, leading the other two through. Just as I reach the end, a sharp pain enters my face and a loud crack fills the air. I am knocked off my feet and hear myself let out a loud groan.

"Don't do anything stupid," a commanding tone orders as I am dragged to my feet by what I can only assume to be one of the military soldiers.

_Damn it. We've been caught._

There are two armored guards, each with machine guns pointed directly at the three of us as they line us up.

"Scan them," one guard mentions as they grab their radio and start to request backup. The other walks up to Victoria and scans her with a metal device I've seen a few times now. They use it to check people for the infection.

They move towards me and scan. Finally, they move to Chloe, who looks extremely tense. The moment the guard approaches her, she turns sharply and stabs them in the leg. The guard groans in pain before pushing Chloe to the floor and aim their gun at her. Without hesitation, I tackle the guard to the floor and hear gunshots behind me.

_I guess Victoria must have taken out the other guard._

I quickly deal with the guard I have pinned to the floor; I'll spare the details. Chloe backs towards a box and leans against it, running her fingers through her hair as she tries to catch her breath, "Fuck."

Victoria grabs the scanner, her eyes widening as she stares at the screen, before turning to Chloe with a shocked expression, "You're infected."

Chloe shakes her head firmly, "I'm not."

Victoria throws the scanner over to me and I inspect it, finding a definitive **INFECTED** displayed on the screen. My brow furrows as I look at the result before making my way over to her and show her the screen, "No? Well, explain this."

Her face cycles through a lot of conflicted emotions before settling on defeat as she shrugs off her jacket and holds out her right arm. I catch a glimpse of her tattoo sleeve, seeing a skull adorned with a red flower, vines and a red ribbon twists along the length of her arm and blue butterflies settle at the top. On her now exposed forearm is a deep bite mark, causing a wave of mild panic to surge through my body.

_Fuck. Nathan set us up._

She points at the bite on her forearm, "Look at this. It's three weeks old."

Victoria shakes her head firmly, "No. Everyone turns within two days. So stop bullshitting."

Chloe looks earnestly at us, "It's three weeks. I swear."

_What the fuck is going on?_

I turn to face Victoria, who looks as bewildered as I do. Before any of us can utter another word, I notice flashing lights in the distance, "Fuck, the backup is here. RUN!"

We turn on our heel and race through the network of short tunnels, evading the moderate military backup that had been sent after us. After about thirty minutes or so, they are still chasing after us and show no sign of relenting. For now though, we have managed to temporarily given them the slip by slipping into one of the abandoned buildings. I place my hands on my knees, panting as I try to catch my breath and wipe at my brow, "Ok, I think we lost them."

Victoria takes a deep breath before turning her attention to Chloe again, "What was the plan? After we give you to the Fireflies, what happens?"

Chloe sighs, looking defeated as she finally explains her situation, "In the Firefly base is a quarantine zone. There are doctors there, still trying to find a cure and… and that whatever happened to me is the key to finding a vaccine."

_Is she serious? No, there is no way. I'm tired of this bullshit._

"I've had enough of this," I announce as I grab Victoria's hand and begin pulling her over to the exit out onto the back alleyway.

"Max, what are you doing?" Victoria asks as she pulls against my grip.

I stop and glance back at her, "We are leaving. We are going back to the house and forgetting about this."

Victoria stares at me, worrying her lip between her teeth, "What if it's true?"

"I can't…"

My protests are cut off as she takes a step closer to me, placing a hand on my shoulder, "What if, Max," her eyes plead with me, "We've come this far, let's just finish it."

_I can't put Victoria at risk. I can't lose anyone again._

I point out of the window, an exasperated look on my face, "Do you even remember what is out there?"

Victoria looks at me, sadness in her eyes, "Max, I know this is risky, but it could save everyone. We have to do this and I need you to be with me."

_I can see I'm not going to win this one._

I look over at Chloe, who offers up an apologetic grimace, then back to Victoria with a tired sigh as I concede, "Fine, but you owe me."

* * *

The three of us wander down the street aimlessly, having no idea how long we've been doing it for. Time passes without really making an impact, so it's easy to lose track even more than before. When all you do is focus on survival, the days, weeks, months and years blend into one. We've fought a few infected here and there on our journey, but for the most part we've managed to avoid them thankfully. Even though they used to be people, as alive as I am, you almost wouldn't be able to tell now with their rotted features and exposed bones. To be honest, infected aren't so bad beyond their appearances and wanting to bite you all the time. They are predictable at least… not like the living people. They are the ones you really have to worry about.

As we press on down the street, sticking close to the shadows to avoid detection, Victoria turns to Chloe with a quizzical expression, "So, the Fireflies think you're immune?"

Chloe shrugs nonchalantly, "That's what I've been told, anyway."

"How were you bitten?" Victoria asks curiously as her eyes wander down to the bite mark on Chloe's right arm hidden among her tattoo.

Chloe clears her throat, self-consciously covering the bite with her hand as she explains, "I… haven't always been a member of the Fireflies. I was sent to a military boarding school by my step dad," her face crumples up in disapproval, "I hated it there so I used to sneak out to the mall to get away from it all."

Victoria looks mildly impressed by her escapades, "That place is off-limits. How did you get in there?"

Chloe glances down at her boots gloomily, scuffing them across the ground, "I… have my ways. Anyways, an infected bit me and… that was that."

_I feel like she is hiding something… then again who isn't these days?_

Victoria picks up on Chloe's reluctance to continue this line of questioning, instead slowing her pace to examine the map before pointing up ahead, "There she is. That's our building."

Chloe suddenly runs off without any warning.

"Hey," I call to her as she climbs up a nearby ladder leading to the rooftop of a nearby building. I let out a deep sigh before giving chase, following her up the ladder. When I reach the rooftop, I see her standing on the edge of the roof, staring out upon the vast network of interconnecting streets and looming buildings, "What are you playing at?"

She turns on her heel to face me, her brow furrowing, face hardening and eyes flickering with anger, looking pissed at my interruption as she snaps, "I wanted to see the sunrise from a good vantage point. You got a problem with that?"

_There is no need to be an asshole, Max. She's probably been through a lot too. You shouldn't take your anger out on other people, especially when they haven't done anything wrong._

I rub my hand over my face before apologetically mumbling, "Sorry, I'm just a little on edge right now."

Chloe's face softens considerably on hearing my apology, "No worries. I'm used to much worse," she resumes surveying the area and I swear I can see a small smile on her face as she takes in the incredible sight laid before us. It's hard not to smile at the beauty even if the world's gone to shit, "It's just nice to be free. Back at the Fireflies' camp ever since I was bitten, everyone has kept me under lock and key. First, they were afraid of me and then they realized I could be useful so effectively made me a prisoner. They didn't want me making a break for it and escaping, not that it stopped me from trying," she sighs resignedly as she shoves her hands in her worn pockets, her expression becoming downcast and melancholic, "Everyone just ends up using me. They all end up fucking me over."

_I want to comfort her, but aren't I kind of doing the same thing? Max the hypocrite…_

Chloe shakes her head to rid herself of the self-pity before racing back to the ladder. She gets on it, ready to climb down, "Come on, slowpoke," I follow her lead, using the ladder to climb back down onto the street. Victoria is waiting for us at the bottom with a questioning look. I signal that everything is fine to her as we continue down the abandoned street.

There are a few crashed vehicles and unmoving corpses with bullet holes in their foreheads, sometimes decapitated ones too, lining the street. When it comes to the infected, the only way to silence them for good is aiming for the brain, the nerve center of the human body. They can keep going without their limbs intact, so the only good that does is incapacitating them temporarily, especially when trying to save ammo. There really isn't a lot of it left after everything has happened so you have to use it sparingly if you don't what to be left in the lurch.

Ahead of us the path is flooded, by my estimations it must come up to at least waist level if not higher. Large areas of once human inhabited space are now like this. The drainage systems take second priority to actually surviving, so haven't been maintained. Chloe looks sheepish at the stagnant water, "Um… just so it's out there. I can't swim."

Victoria stops at the water's edge, searching out a safe path… well a safer path. Nothing is really safe these days, "It looks shallow enough over here. Follow me."

Chloe tentatively follows Victoria, inhaling sharply as the cold water laps at her skin. As we wade through the water, she stumbles. I instinctively reach out to grab her arm to stop her from falling and she manages to steady herself.

"Thanks," she mentions softly with a sigh of relief.

"No worries."

Eventually we make it to the other side, a towering brick building with wooden double doors before us, stone steps leading up to the entrance. I quickly scan the area to make sure there aren't any nasty traps waiting to go off before cautiously climbing the steps to the door and slowly opening it a crack. I peer inside to ensure this isn't an ambush or that there isn't any infected stumbling around. While I don't see any immediate threats, there is another worrying sight… ten or so lifeless corpses sprawled on the ground.

_It seems a bit too quiet here._

Despite my reservations, I open the door wider and, after drawing my pistol, step inside with Chloe and Victoria right behind me both with their weapons drawn just in case.

"No," Victoria whispers in horror as her eyes fall on the bodies covering the floor, blood running like rivers from their various wounds. It's safe to assume that these bodies are the Fireflies who were supposed to be taking Chloe on to their main base. Victoria just stands there, stunned and horrified as she takes in the sight.

_She isn't usually phased by blood and gore. Strange._

I manage to step in some of the blood of course. It seeps into my shoe and I can feel it creeping up my sock.

_Ew. I need to get some more liquid proof shoes._

I try shaking it off in vain, with a few specks of blood heading towards Chloe stood beside me. She steps back slightly, holding out her arms and looking appalled at the flying droplet of blood. She doesn't move out of the way quickly enough, the blood staining her t-shirt.

"Hey, watch it," she grumbles in irritation, "You're like a dog, flicking it everywhere," she stares at her now stained shirt and rolls her eyes, "Damn it. This was my good shirt. Well, it still probably is, even with all the bloodstains on it," she strokes her chin in contemplation, "Actually thinking about it, this is probably the cleanest thing I have ever owned, even before the apocalypse.

I stare at her in disbelief, "Are you serious?"

She gives me a serious look, "I wish I wasn't," she tries rubbing the blood off, but ends up making it worse, "I was trying to have one thing that didn't have blood on it."

I turn to her apologetically, holding my hands up, "Sorry. It could have been worse. It could have been bits of brain."

Her face crumples up in disgust, "You are gross."

Victoria runs up to a body as I close the door to make sure nobody sneaks up on us. I notice Chloe already checking for ammo and other supplies on her fallen comrades. With a group like the Fireflies, it's always best to check as they sometimes have pretty good equipment. Most people aren't worth checking, especially if they aren't fresh corpses. The bodies have bullet holes in their heads, showing that they won't be coming back any time soon, which takes the tense edge off the satiation.

"No, no," Victoria mumbles as she searches the body she's crouched beside.

_Why is she so worked up about this?_

Now finished with her search, Chloe stands up and approaches us, "What happens now?"

Victoria frantically searches a body as I walk closer to her, "What are you doing, Victoria?"

She is breathing heavily as if she'd entering a blind panic, "Oh god. Maybe they, ah, they had a map or something to tell us where they were going."

I crouch down and put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her, "Victoria. Look, we tried. Let's just go back. There is nothing out there for us. Besides, I need to go find us that nice spot for later. Let's go home."

I wink at her to lighten the mood, but she merely lifts her head with the most heart-breaking look I have ever seen from her, "I'm not… I'm not going anywhere," she looks back down at the body while swallowing hard, "This is my last stop."

_Ok, what is she talking about?_

"This isn't exactly what I had pictured when you said nice place, but whatever. I guess beggars can't be choosers," I grin at her.

She turns away from me, her voice breaking as she whispers, "Our luck had to run out sooner or later."

A sense of dread fills me and my smile fades as I take hold of her shoulders, "What are you going on about? Come on, this isn't funny, Victoria," tears fall down her cheeks as she moves the collar of her top, making a large red bite mark visible. I take a step back, my face falling as my eyes take in the bite, "No… this is… this is all a joke, right?"

Victoria refuses to look at me, the tears coming thick and fast now. Victoria is one of the strongest people I know, so that's how I know she isn't trying to pull my leg here. I glance over to Chloe, desperate for her to tell me this is a prank. Instead she shakes her head with a sympathetic expression.

"Max…" Victoria sniffles tentatively as she stands up.

_Not again._

I back up against a wall and slump down to the floor as the reality of the situation sets in, "Oh god… no… this can't be happening… not again."

_This can't be real. It's all a joke. It has to be._

Victoria stands there in front of me, helplessly looking on as I feel my grip on control rapidly fading. After I have gained a very slight amount of composure, I imploringly lift my head to face her, "Please, tell me it's a badly thought out prank."

Tears streak her cheeks, her eyes full of despair and her voice little more than a whisper, "I can't."

_It's happening again, isn't it? Another person I love is going to leave me. I can't do this again. I WON'T._

I hug my knees and glance down at my shaking left hand. On it are two rings, one of which should be on the finger of another… Kate. I clench my fist as my body shakes and tears fall from my eyes.

_I can't do this again. Not when I've just finally started to love again._

"Don't make me do this. Please," I beg to whoever will listen. I would give anything to rewind this right now, go back to the start and never even agree to doing this.

I hear footsteps and shuffling as someone sit down beside me, tentatively placing an arm around my shoulder, one I rest my head on for comfort, "Max… I'm sorry."

_**I told you Max… everyone you love will die, and it will be all your fault. Just like with me.** _

_What do I do? There must be a way to fix this. There has to be. Think Max._

"Max… please, talk to me," Victoria begs softly.

_Stay strong, Max…_

I take a deep breath and lift my head to look up at her with a heavy heart, "Victoria…"

_My love. Cruelly taken away yet again. What did we do to deserve this?_

Her eyes are red and puffy from crying, "I'm sorry to make you go through this again, Max."

I reach out for her hand, she intertwines her fingers with mine, never wanting to let go, "It's not fucking fair," I place my head on her shoulder once more, praying that this is all just a bad dream like before. I know it's not, but I have to cling onto that blind hope to keep going right now.

She squeezes my hand lightly, "I know," there is silence for a moment, "Look, Max. This is probably not the best time to say this, but I'm running out of time. I love you. My fucking pride stopped me from saying it before."

I lean over and tenderly kiss her, putting everything I have into it so she knows, "I love you too."

Victoria takes an uneven breath, "You have to keep going, Max. The fate of humanity is resting on this."

_If she goes. I'm going to. I can't wonder around for another five years, an empty husk, a ghost of my former self. I CAN'T!_

My mind goes into overdrive, my breathing escalates and my throat constricts, "No! Don't make me leave you. I don't want to. If you go… I'm coming with you," Victoria look as if she is about to protest so I get there first, "I don't fucking care. I can't go through this. Not again. You can't make me… you can't…"

My voice trails off as she places a hand on my cheek, the faint sound of voices behind the door coming ever closer, "Max, you have to go, now."

"But…"

Her eyes plead with me, "Do it for me, Max."

I hug her tightly, never wanting to let go of her for as long as I live. Victoria tries to disengage herself, but I grip on tighter. I hear her sigh as she finally manages to free herself, "Max you have to go now," she pauses for a moment before taking of her bracelet and passing it to me with a sad smile, "I know how sentimental you are."

I reluctantly take it from her and place it on my left wrist, adding it to the two rings already on my hand.

_Yet another mark of someone I've lost in this fucking awful world._

She places her hand on my cheek and I lean into her touch, tears falling down my face, splashing down onto her hand. She kisses a tear away and places her forehead against mine, "Don't forget about me."

I put on a brave face, "How… how c-could I?"

_Hold it together, Max. You don't want her last memory of you to be sad._

"I love you, I always will, Max Caulfield," she pushes me back gently, "Go. Go and don't look back."

I stare blankly at her for a moment before feeling my body move of its own accord to stand up. A hand pulls on my arm, dragging me away… away into the dark… I hear gunshots. A cry of pain. Silence…

I don't look back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry Chasefield shippers (go and read I Ordered Pizza But Was Delivered A Problem to make yourselves feel better if you haven't already or re-read it. There is fluff there and no death, I promise). Like I said, I'll probably do a spin off series for both Kate and Victoria so we can get some happy fluffier shit going on. Excuse me while I go cry.  
> See you next time.


	5. No-One Else (E)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One member down and without a plan, can Chloe and Max figure out what to do now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Oh, isn’t this turning out to be a fun fanfiction. Don’t worry, I’ll try to include some fluff stuff here and there to break up all the heavy themes. This chapter is a bit happier than the last few. We get some nice Pricefield bonding moments, which is always a good thing. Enjoy.

**Chapter Five: No-one Else**

We press on through the building in silence, guilt and grief surging through my body as I stumble around in a daze.

_I can’t believe that just happened. Oh god. I just… I just left her._

I am pulled out of my trance-like state when Chloe tentatively places a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, I… know this isn’t going to be worth much to you right now, but I’m… sorry.”

Part of me feels like screaming at her, telling her to fuck off and leave me alone. I know that’s not fair. It’s not her fault. Another part of me wants to run, run far away from here, far away from everything. Where would I run? There is nowhere left. No safe haven, not anymore. Part of me wants to run back and join her. To finally…

_I can’t give up. Not yet. Maybe… maybe when this is all over… maybe then…._

The last part wants to breakdown and cry. To not function and let my emotion overwhelm me. To fall to my knees, to give in to everything. My response to this is to shut down. This is how I dealt with Kate, and this is how I’ll deal with Victoria.

“Yeah.” That is all I can manage in response.

 Her voice quivers as she continues, “I… I know what it’s like to lose someone important to you. Just know that, I’m here if you want to talk about it. You don’t have to, but if you want to…” She cuts off her rambling with a sigh. “I’ll be here. Just… do what you need to do. No-one can tell you how to mourn.”

I stare at her with hopeless eyes. “Thanks.”

She offers me a sad smile in response. She doesn’t pursue it, letting me decide the terms.

“I think we could both do with a hug right now, don’t you?” She hesitantly suggests.

I move closer to her, my arms enveloping her. She holds onto me, her hands gripping my shirt hard. I can feel her shaking slightly, her breathing uneven. She’s lost people too, I can tell, someone she really cared for. I hold her as close as I can, bridging any gap between us and clinging on for dear life.

_This fucking world… I am going to promise myself one thing and one thing only… I am going to get Chloe there safely. I will protect her and I won’t let her die. No-one else dies on my watch._

I gently disengage filled with a new found resolve, a reason to keep going. “Come on, we have work to do.”

Chloe nods in agreement as we continue through the abandoned building. A lifeless body is slumped against a wall; a blood stain paints it red, with a discarded rifle at the body’s feet.

_I could definitely use that._

I grab it and check to see the ammo count, surprised to see it has a few bullets left. I quickly check the pocket of the body, checking first to make sure it’s not coming back of course, and find a few more bullets. I pocket the extra ammo just in time to hear voices echo down the corridor in front of us. I hastily pull Chloe behind a wooden box, one of the many haphazardly placed in the hallway. I place my arm beside her, steadying myself using the box so that my body surrounds hers.

_No-one else._

Footsteps echo in front of us as a deep voice reverberates off the walls. “There’s got to be more of them. These fuckers don’t travel alone. Besides, she went down with a fight. Took down five men. We can’t risk there being more.”

On hearing this, my heart swells slightly with pride.

_You made me proud, Victoria._

Another more high-pitched and nasally voice joins the conversation. “Five? One chick took down five men? Impressive. Let’s hope she was on her own, otherwise we are fucked.”

_Yes, yes you are fucked. First, I am going to hunt down every single one of you and then… then you will suffer._

I peek up over the box, watching as one of the lightly armored figures marches out of the room, the other idly strolling around without a care in the world. He almost seems bored if anything, with his shotgun slung casually over his shoulder.

_Now is my chance. Let’s try and do this quietly._

When the man left in the room wanders our way, I take the opportunity to grab him from behind and take him down before he notices us, wrapping my arm around his neck to restrict his breathing. He struggles against my hold for a few moments, making a few soft guttural noises, then I feel his body go limp. I drag the body behind one of the boxes to prevent raising suspicion and search for ammo in the pockets of his jacket while Chloe takes his pants’ pockets.

_I have no idea where all the ammo goes. I try to use my gun as little as possible, but sometimes it’s required._

Out of nowhere, someone grabs me from behind, locking their arm around my throat. I try to release the grip, clawing at the arms but failing. I am tempted just to let Death take me. So tempted… The grip suddenly slackens and my attacker falls to the floor. I collapse to the ground, gasping for air as I assess the situation. Chloe is stood there, her knife stuck in the back of the man on the floor at her feet. She takes the knife back, wipes it on his clothes and offers me a hand.

I take it and she pulls me up. “Thanks.”

She offers me a small smile and dismissively waves away my apology, “Don’t mention it. You helped me earlier by stopping me from falling in the water. Now we are even.”

We crouch to the floor and all but crawl to the next room. Two figures stand there with their backs to us. I signal to Chloe to get rid of one of them as she seems capable enough to take one of them out. I grab an empty bottle from the floor and throw it away from us to distract them.

“What was that?” Both of the figures cautiously walk in the direction of the noise.

While they are distracted, we sneak up behind them. I grab my target and break his neck, glancing over just in time to see Chloe pulling her knife from the other guy’s neck. She grins victoriously at me. “I did good, right?”

“Yeah.”

_I wish I could act more enthusiastic, but I’m not really in the mood now. Not after…_

“Max, there’s the exit.” Chloe points excitedly towards a door on the other side of the room.

“I see it.” I confirm as we cautiously head on over to it.

Light pierces my vision and I blink a few times as we exit to the outside. It was so dark in that building that any light would be a struggle. When my eyes finally adjust, I notice that we have come out onto an abandoned street, or at least I hope it is.

Chloe looks around in amazement and mild awe. “Dude, it’s so pretty out here.”

I turn my head towards her. “Yeah. It is.”

She walks around with a small lop-sided smile on her face, “I haven’t been outside in forever. Like I said before, I was kept under surveillance basically 24/7.” She inhales deeply. “I always took fresh air for granted. It’s the best fucking thing.”

_I bet Chloe really hated being supervised like that._

“I can imagine you not being the most compliant prisoner ever.”

Chloe smirks at that. “Damn right. I made everyone’s life a living hell. I wasn’t going to go down quietly.”

“I don’t blame you. I would have been the same.” I mention as I squint off into the distance, shading my eyes from the sun.

_If I remember correctly, there is somewhere we can go._

I point up ahead for Chloe’s benefit. “There is a town over there. There is a guy there who owes me some favors. There’s a good chance he could get us a car.”

“Great, because my feet are starting to ache from all this walking.” She complains as we head off deeper into the wilderness. After about half an hour of walking, I can spot the outline of buildings in the distance.

_That must be it._

I turn to Chloe. “I think I can see it.”

A railing separates the road from the overgrown slope, which she vaults over with ease. “It’s going to be faster this way, right?”

I follow her over the railing with less grace than I’d hoped for. When I catch up to her, she is standing in the middle of a partially trodden dirt path. Her eyes are wide with awe as she examines the unrestrained nature all around us. Trees twist and twine, the light golden, illuminating the slightly trodden path before us with a thin stream running adjacent.

“Wow. It really is beautiful around here. It seems that the world really is a better place without us, huh? All we did was fuck it up, destroy it. We just kept taking and taking, never giving anything back,” she turns to me with an air of melancholy. “Maybe the apocalypse was nature’s way of getting rid of its disease… humans.”

A small pool of water shimmers in the morning light just up ahead.

_It’s probably not clean enough to drink, but we can use it to get clean._

After kneeling down beside the shimmering water, I scoop some of it into my hands. I bring my hands to my face and feel the cool, refreshing liquid on my skin.

“Man, that feels good.” I sigh contently as I kick my shoes off and dangle my feet into the water.

This causes small ripples to appear on the surface. I glance down at the reflection staring back up at me. The once youthful, carefree face has become more defined and tired looking, with a sharp jaw line and distinct cheekbones. Not to mention the dark circles underneath my eyes and pale skin. Before, I never even looked close to my age. Now though, my features are more mature. After giving myself a once over, I look over to Chloe. She stands there awkwardly about a foot from the water’s edge.

Noticing her hesitation, I pat the space beside me. “Come on, Chloe. I don’t bite.”

Her eyes wonder over to the water before shooting me a sheepish look. “Is it deep?”

I shake my head to reassure her. “Nope.”

After a few seconds of deliberation, she slowly walks over and sits down beside me. She removes her shoes and gradually puts her feet into the water.

“Feels good, right?” I ask as I gently move my feet.

Chloe nods. “Yep.”

_I feel all sweaty from our adventures so far. I think I might take a dip._

I remove my flannel, which earns me an amused look from Chloe. “Is now really the time for a strip tease?”

This question inspires a genuine laugh. “There is always time for a strip tease.”

When I take off my jeans, Chloe looks away shyly. Soon enough, I am standing there in my underwear and ease myself into the water. As I wade around, it cools my skin considerable. All this walking around and surviving can be really hot and sweaty work.

“You should come in to.” I suggest as I glance over to Chloe.

Her brow furrows in worry as she focuses on the water. “But… I can’t swim.”

“The water really isn’t that deep and besides, I promise I won’t let you drown. I can help teach you a bit. You never know when you might need it,” I reassure as make my way over to her and reach out my hand to her. “Do you trust me?”

Chloe looks at my hand for a long moment before sighing. “Fine. I’ll do it, only because I trust you. Just let me take these off.”

She strips down to her underwear and shuffles over to the water’s edge, blushing slightly. After taking my hand, I gently guide her into the water, which comes up to her chest when she stands.

“See, I told you it wasn’t that deep. You can stand fine.”

I start to give her some pointers on swimming. The first time, Chloe fails miserably. She ends up face first in the water. When she comes up, coughing and spluttering, I can’t help but laugh. She stares daggers at me.

“That’s right, laugh it up.” She crosses her arms and pouts at me.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it. You can’t give up yet. I’ll get you swimming like a pro by the end of the day. Just you watch,” eventually, she starts to get the hang of it. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” I ask in a lightly teasing manner. Chloe responds by splashing some water in my direction then. “Hey!”

Her laughter rings through the air, “Bad Max. Don’t use that patronizing tone with me. You’ll get worse than a splash in the face next time.” She looks away from me slightly with a vulnerable expression. “It wasn’t hard, but that was because you were here to guide me. I’m not used to people helping me, well not without an ulterior motive. You didn’t have to do this, but you did and I’m grateful.” Her eyes meet mine earnestly. “Thank you.”

_I wonder how many people have screwed you over. How many people did you think you could trust, but then they fucked you over?_

She shivers then. “Now, I am starting to freeze my ass off here.”

“Me too,” I agree as we both get out and shake off as best we can before get re-dressed. “Ok, maybe this wasn’t the brightest of ideas.” I admit reluctantly with a shudder.

As she finishes up she chuckles. “At least its hella hot out here. Maybe this won’t be an activity we do in winter.”

We continue on down a slope towards the small town. As we approach it, I notice the tall mesh wire fence surrounding the area. When we finally reach the fence gate I give the lock a good rattle, but it doesn’t budge. I glance up to see barbed wire lining the top, making it impossible to climb over.

Chloe stands beside me, “Well, I guess that rules out climbing over it. Let me take a look at that lock.” She bends down and inspects the lock. “I could give my thief skills a try and see if I can get it open. I’m not sure if I could though.” After a couple of tries, she looks at me apologetically. “Let’s have a look around first to see if there is another way in.”

_There has to be a break somewhere._

The two of us split up to cover more ground, with me heading off to the left. As I head on round, I see that part of the fence is broken.

_Yes. Score one for Max._

“Yo Chloe. I found a way in.”

I hear footsteps behind me and feel her pat me hard on the back. “Way to go, Max.”

It is then that I hear quiet groaning from a nearby shed-like building. I hold out my arm, preventing Chloe from storming forward. She is initially taken aback by the unexpected action, leaning in close to whisper in my ear. “What is it?”

I listen intently, my heart beating so hard and I even stop breathing for a moment. “I think… I heard something. Let’s be careful.”

Chloe nods without further question. “Gotcha.”

As we press forward cautiously, my foot hits something and I nearly trip up. I glance down to see a metal pipe with scissors taped to the top.

_I guess I may as well take it. No use in leaving it lying around._

“Jeez, what is everyone’s fascination with scissors?” I mutter under my breath as I take the pipe and give it a swing.

“Hey, watch it. You almost had my eye out.” Chloe whispers loudly while dodging out of the way.

“Sorry.”

After swallowing my fears, we make our way over to the dilapidated shed’s entrance. An infected stands there with its back to us, lightly moaning and twitching. I slowly turn to Chloe and place a finger to my lips. This one is a clicker. They can’t see, but they have a very sharp ear. I gently creep up behind it as it groans and spasms. When I’m close enough, I swing the pipe into its body with a loud crunch. The clicker falls to the floor from the impact. In this moment of confusion, I raise the pipe above my head and finish it off. It convulsions slightly, then goes limp.

Chloe whistles. “You looked really badass doing that.”

With the threat dealt with, we enter inside the shed to check for any potentially useful supplies. After rummaging around for a while, I notice a piece of fabric on one of the metal shelves resting against the leftmost wall.

“What have we here?” I mumble as I take the scrap. It’s too dirty to use for bandages, but… I shrug my bag off my shoulder and take out the bottle of alcohol I collected a while back. “Dude, we can totally make a Molotov cocktail. Nice.”

Chloe looks so excited at this prospect, “Let’s blow shit up. I think I have a lighter somewhere.” She feels around in her pockets before producing a lighter. “Here we go.”

I place a hand on hers to stop her getting too far ahead of herself. “Hold up, Wile e. Coyote. Let’s save it for an emergency.”

She holds her hands up in defeat before placing the lighter back. “Fine. Deny me my fun.”

Muttering the herself, she shoves her hands in her pockets as I stash the bottle and fabric in my bag. We exit the small building and continue on our travels, going deeper into the town through the hole in the fence.

“Hopefully we won’t see too many more of those things. They scare the shit out of me.” Chloe mutters as she examines her surroundings with caution. We come up to another fence. This one has a break in the wire at the top with a plank keeping the door shut.

“One of us could climb over and open it from the inside,” I move closer to the fence. “Give me a boost up.”

Chloe makes a cradle with her hands by the fence. I place my foot on her hands and she boosts me up. After grabbing the top of the fence, I pull myself up and over. Once back on the ground, I remove the plank and open the gate.

“Welcome to my domain.” I say with a smirk as I spread my arms in a welcoming fashion.

Chloe beams at me as she enters inside, re-barricading the door behind her. “So, after we get this car, what next?”

_I have no idea. We have no clue where we are going. Think Max._

“We go find Warren.” I suggest, feeling a slight pang of guilty on saying his name. He probably hates me now after I left without saying a word. Still, he’s the only hope we’ve got.

We press through the town, constantly checking our surroundings. Chloe walks closer to me. “Who’s Warren?”

“A friend of mine.”

She offers up a teasing smile. “A friend, huh?”

“Yeah.”

This gets her smirking. “What kind of friend?”

I sigh. “Well, that depends which one of us you asked.”

Chloe clutches at her chest. “Ah, unrequited love. It brings tears to my eyes. You’re so cold, Max.”

 “Knock it off.” I gently push her shoulder.

She grins at me. “I’m just shitting you. Boys are trouble and hella gross.”

I rub my temples. “You’re telling me. Anyway, he was a Firefly so he’d know where to take you. The only problem is he is really far from here, hence why we need the car.”

After a moment Chloe shrugs. “Like I said before, anything to not walk.”

_While were here, we may as well have a look around, see if there is anything we can use._

Cautiously, we enter a building to our left. Supplies are very hard to come by nowadays so you have to be extremely thorough in your search.

“Look, there’s a bar. Nice.” Chloe goes over to inspect it. She grabs one of the bottles from a shelf and cracks it open, taking a huge gulp before looking over to me and passing the bottle my way. “Not bad. Want some?”

My eyes narrow at the bottle skeptically. “Oh yeah, because booze and guns is a good combo.”

“Dude, it’s the end of the world. Live a little.” Chloe points out, taking another sip to pass the time.

“Fine.” To keep her happy, I grab the bottle and drink, feeling a warmth pass through me. “Damn, that’s some strong stuff.”

I pass the bottle back to Chloe, who takes another glug, then screws the lid back on and puts it in her bag. She looks around and runs over to the other side of the room. “Oh… look at that.”

It takes a moment to realize what she meant. I join her over by the arcade machine pushed against the wall. “Did you play this before?”

Her hand brushes the control panel, leaving a trail in the dust. “Nah. But I had a friend that knew everything about this game.” A fond smile appears on her face. “Apparently, there’s this character called Angel Knives who’d… what was it? She’d punch a hole through your stomach before kicking your head off.”

“It sounds fun.”

Her expression turns gloomy as she turns away from the machine and exits the building while mumbling. “Yeah, it does. I really wish I could play it.”

_I wonder if that’s who she lost, her friend. She looked so sad while talking about it. Maybe she’ll tell me later. Maybe… I can talk about Kate one day. She already knows about Victoria. It’s not good keeping it all bottled up inside. Who better to talk to it about than someone who has lost just as much?_

I follow her outside and notice a sign sitting in the middle of the street. Chloe walks up to it with a light frown. “Mandatory Evacuation. Evacuate to where?”

Finding myself curious, I come and stand beside her to get a better look at the sign. I’ve seen a lot of them in my travels. “I suppose a Quarantine zone. Some places must have got a heads up before the infection showed up.”

Chloe stares at the sign, her voice gentle. “I wonder how many people didn’t get a warning.”

“Too many.” I continue to make my way down the street with Chloe following behind me. To my right I see a music shop and enter. “Wowser, look at this place.” The shop is filled with dusty records and CDs. Just my kind of place. Before I know it, I find myself looking through the abandoned music. “This is kind of sad.”

Sensing a presence beside me, I glance over my shoulder to see Chloe ambling over. “How so?”

While motioning to all the merchandise, I glance back at her. “All this music that’s just sitting here. No-one’s around to listen to it.”

She sifts through the shelf next to me and grabs a CD. “Well, I think we can afford to take something. It won’t take up too much room. Besides, no-one else is using it as you’ve pointed out.”

I stroll over to another shelf and search through the dusty CDs. “I suppose that’s true. Who knows? We might even get a chance to play it someday.” After some deliberation, I pick out a CD and stuff it into my bag. That is when a few guitars on the wall catch my eye. “Oh man, I haven’t played in ages.”

Chloe looks at me curiously. “You play guitar?”

“I used to.” I correct her sadly.

“You’ll have to show me sometime.”

_Fuck it, Why not now? We might not get another chance._

“Well, if you give the perimeter a check and make sure the coast is clear, I can give it a quick spin.”

Delighted by this possibility, she grins at me. “This I can do. Wait a minute.”

While she rushes outside, I take a guitar from the wall and strum, recoiling from the totally out of tune sound. I take a seat on a box and fix it the best I can. These guitars haven’t been used in a long time. Not that I had expected anything else.

Moments later, Chloe comes back in. “The coast is clear.”

I take a deep breath and start to play, choosing. Crosses by Jose Gonzalez. This particular song always gets to me. I remember a time when I played this in my dorm room. A time when I had very little to worry about, other than getting work done and dealing with some teen drama. A time when I was happily in love with a beautiful angel. One I still am in love with. It feels so long ago. I guess it kind of was.

Chloe pulls up another box and sits down, listening attentively. Part way through, she closes her eyes and lets the music engulf her.

_I am surprised I even remember how to play to be honest. I haven’t practice since the outbreak._

Somehow managing to get through without too many mistakes, I finish playing. “I’m a little rusty.”

A second later, Chloe opens her eyes and smiles. “If that’s you being rusty, I would love to hear you at your best. That was amazeballs.”

“Thanks.” I stand the guitar up against a wall.

_It’s a shame I can’t take it with me._

We exit the shop and walk down an alleyway. Suddenly, a zombie runs up towards us. Before I can react, it is blown apart which scares me. “Holy shit!”

“That was so fucking cool!” Chloe grins at the destruction.

_Note to self, don’t give Chloe any explosives, unless you want the entire area to be destroyed._

“That… would be one of David’s traps.” I sigh, running my fingers through my hair which is in need of a desperate wash as always.

She looks at me incredulously. “Your friend a bit paranoid, maybe?”

_That would be an understatement. Mind you, it’s kept him alive._

“That’s putting it lightly.” With the previous chaos over, we continue on our journey much more cautiously. Every now and then we have to duck under or step over a wire so as to not get blown up.

“What’s the deal with this guy?”

David is a great ally to have, and a dangerous enemy as so many have discovered all too late. He was actually the leader of the group that found me after I was attacked by raiders. He brought me here and this is where I… also reunited with Victoria. We managed to earn his respect. He’s a war veteran, so he knew how to fight. Sure, he wasn’t the easiest person to get on with, but he kept everyone safe. That was until there was a surprise attack on the camp. That’s why Victoria and I moved on. David stayed. His wife got hurt in the fight. He told us they would slow us down. He gave me the pistol I carry now. Recently, we came into contact again.

“Well, he helped us smuggle stuff into the city. He… knows how to find things.”

Chloe looks at me, caution in her eyes. “Let’s hope we don’t blow up trying to find him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay safe out there guys and I’ll see you next time.


	6. Leave Me Hanging

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Chloe are on the search for David. Can he help them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Hope you’re doing good. Here is the new chapter.  
> David and Chloe aren’t related in this story. David was still a security guard at Blackwell. Chloe still met Rachel and still got kicked out, but didn’t know Max. All the dark room stuff didn’t happen either. Kate got drug by some random person being an arsehole. I hope that clears a few things up in regards to the background of the story.  
> Enjoy.

We continue down the alleyway. In front of us is a body, arrows stick out from it. Chloe whistles in appreciation.

‘Jeez. David good with a bow?’

I look down at the body. One of the arrows is lodged in the middle of the body’s forehead.

‘I reckon he is.’

_I knew he was good with a gun. Figures he’d be good with other weapons too. He was always multi-faceted._

I grab the arrows.

_Now, if I could find a bow…_

‘Chloe, keep an eye out for a bow.’

She salutes.

‘Yes ma’am.’

On one of the buildings to my right a little way ahead, a warning is spray painted which reads NO TRESPASSERS!

_Good thing I’m not trespassing then._

There is another alleyway to our immediate right. Chloe goes gallivanting round the corner. I throw out my hand and stop her. She looks at me, one eyebrow raised, a huge smirk on her face.

‘Whoa Max, I never thought you would be so bold to do a random boob grab.’

I roll my eyes.

‘Well, it would have been pretty hard to do if you had been blown up, wouldn’t it?’

I point up to the wire. If Chloe had taken one more step, she would have hit the wire and ka-boom. Chloe shrugs.

‘I suppose so.’

‘Don’t you mean “Thanks for saving my life, Max. You are amazing and I shall worship the very ground you walk upon”.’

Chloe bows.

‘Yes, your Holiness.’

I shake my head, suppressing a smile.

‘Just watch were you’re going. I’ve just gotten used to having you around.’

We both crouch to the floor and walk under the wire. The alleyway leads back out onto the main street. I look to my left. There is a huge make-shift wall blocking off the road.

_I guess we won’t be going that way._

I wander around for a while, trying to find a way through. I hear a chuckle from behind me.

‘I’m glad to see your sense of direction is on point.’

I nudge her.

‘Like you could do better.’

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a bow.

‘Aha, what have we here?’

I pick it up and pull it.

_Seems good._

‘Yo Chloe.’

I pose with the bow. She laughs.

‘Looking good, Max.’

‘Damn right.’

Chloe looks at it, then turns to me.

‘That impish look scares me.’

She looks at me innocently.

‘Dude, can I use it?’

I look at her sceptically.

‘That’s a good question, can you use it?’

Chloe shrugs.

‘I got some practise with bows at the military school. I know what I’m doing.’

_I feel I might regret this, but Chloe needs to be able to defend herself. Plus, I have no idea how to use this._

I hand the bow over to her. Her face lights up.

‘Why does it feel like I’m signing away my soul?’

Chloe stretches the string of the bow.

‘I promise I won’t hit you…well I’ll try not to.’

I shake my head, smiling.

‘Thanks. That really instils me with confidence.’

She grins at me.

‘That’s why I’m here.’

I see a ladder.

_How convenient._

I scan the area. There is a van. I place the ladder against the van. Chloe comes over.

‘Wait a sec, I’ll steady it for you.’

She holds the ladder.

‘Thanks.’

She winks at me.

‘Don’t thank me too soon. Maybe I have an ulterior motive.’

A memory flashes through my mind.

_‘Alright, boost me up. You had better not check out my butt again.’_

_‘I can’t make any promises.’_

I sigh. Chloe looks at me with concern.

‘You ok?’

_That is a good question. I really shouldn’t keep everything bottled up. I’m just not ready to face my demons yet. Maybe soon._

‘I don’t think I’m ready to talk about it yet.’

She shrugs.

‘That’s cool. Just remember I’m here when you need me.’

_I’m glad Chloe is around. I’m sure I’ll be able to open up to her soon. It’s just…hard to do. Everyone I get attached to ends up dying. Like I said, its not going to happen again._

I smile at her and climb up. There is another ladder attached to the wall leading up to the roof top. A plank of wood has been placed between two buildings as a bridge. In order to get to the ladder, you have to cross the plank.

_Ok, just don’t look down._

I tentatively walk across the plank. I turn to look at Chloe. She looks on worriedly.

‘Do not fall.’

I finally make it across. I turn to see Chloe strolling over the plank as if its nothing.

‘Look at you. Does anything phase you?’

Chloe shrugs. I climb up the ladder and check the area.

‘Coast is all clear. You can come on up, Chloe.’

I can hear her climb up. There is another gap between the buildings.

_I guess we need that plank._

‘Chloe, I think we need to get that plank. Care to help?’

‘Sure.’

‘Ok, you stay here and I’ll go grab it.’

I climb back down the ladder and take the plank.

_Way heavier than I thought._

‘You ok down there, Max?’

I stagger with the plank over to the short ladder. I rest it against the wall. I wipe my brow and stick my thumb up at Chloe.

‘Yep.’

I exhale and pick up the plank again. Chloe walks over to the edge. I hold the plank up so she can reach it. She pulls it up. I climb up the ladder and see that she has already positioned the plank in between the two buildings. She slaps me on the back.

‘We make a pretty good team, don’t cha think?’

I try to catch my breath.

‘Yeah, not bad at all. Even though I did the hard part.’

Chloe grins.

‘You’ve got to have you’re uses sometimes.’

We walk across the plank. I can hear groaning.

_Shit._

Just below us is a clicker. I crouch down. Chloe comes up behind me. I can feel her breath on my neck. I turn my head to face her.

‘Care to do the honours?’

She stands up, takes the bow and aims. She fires and gets the clicker in the head. It falls to the floor, screaming and rolling around. After a few seconds, it is still.

‘That was awesome.’

We high five.

‘Nice job, Chloe.’

Chloe turns to me, looking proud.

‘I told you I could use it.’

I hold up my hands in defeat.

‘I’m sorry I ever doubted you.’

She sticks her tongue out.

‘You should be.’

I climb down to the lower part of the roof. Chloe follows. She walks up to the body and retrieves her arrow.

‘Now listen. David isn’t the most trusting individual ever and he has good reason for it. So when we get there, let me do the talking ok?’

Chloe holds up her hands.

‘Got it.’

_Somehow I have a feeling they’ll end up fighting. Chloe hates authority and that was the one thing David embodies the best. This is going to go terribly, but what choice do we have? Hopefully Chloe can behave herself._

I see a ladder which leads down to another alleyway. We climb down it. I see another tripwire.

‘Watch yourself. There’s another wire.’

We crawl underneath. I can here bashing.

_Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good._

There is a door at the end of the alleyway. It rattles and shakes.

_I guess we aren’t going that way then._

I back up. There is a wire fence. The door has been ripped off its hinges. In its place are more tripwires.

‘Great. How do we get through?’

Chloe strokes her chin. She steps back a few paces and takes out her bow.

‘I got this, Max.’

She turns to me.

‘I suggest that you move if you don’t want to get blown up.’

I get away from the wires. Chloe aims and fires. The wires break and it explodes. Chloe turns to me, excitement in her eyes.

‘Those things are so fucking awesome. Do you think I can ask David for one?’

I look at her sternly.

‘I don’t think that’s a good idea, do you?’

Chloe whines.

‘Come on Super Max. Please.’

_Everything about this screams ‘bad move’._

‘There would be nothing left if you got your hands on explosives.

She makes puppy dog eyes at me.

_Oh no._

I try to resist…but I fail. I sigh.

‘If and only if you behave yourself.’

She beams at me.

_I doubt she will behave anyway._

There is a door to my right.

‘This way.’

I grab Chloe’s hand and pull her close.

‘Stay close.’

She squeezes my hand.

‘Lead the way.’

We sneak inside. There is another door. I let go of Chloe’s hand to open the door. As soon as I let go, I immediately want to grab it again and never let go.

_Dude what is wrong with me. I don’t even know why I grabbed her hand in the first place. She probably thinks I am a total creeper now._

I shake my head and open the door.

_It doesn’t look like…_

I hear a thud. My leg is suddenly pulled up. I’m hanging upside down, attached by a rope to the ceiling. I hang there.

_Great. Just great._

I can hear Chloe giggling behind me. I spin around slowly and see her face.

‘Yeah, laugh it up.’

She looks at me amused, a huge grin on her face. Seeing her smile makes my heart beat faster.

_Smiling suits her. I hate seeing her sad. I’m glad she is enjoying herself, even if it’s at my expense.. She has been through enough shit. I want to make her smile. That smile could get me through anything._

I shake my head.

_Dog, I’m being so creepy today._

‘Ok, ok. I wouldn’t want to leave you…hanging.’

I sigh.

_Of course she would make shitty jokes now._

‘Really?’

‘Yep’

She winks at me.

‘Just…hang on a minute.’

I roll my eyes.

‘Oh you are so punny.’

She bounds over to me and takes out her knife. She starts to cut the rope.

‘Damn right I am.’

After a few seconds, she manages to cut through the rope. I fall to the floor, taking Chloe with me. We fall in an undignified heap on the floor. Chloe has fallen on top of me.

‘Ouch. Chloe…’

I hear a gun being cocked. A gruff voice speaks.

‘Don’t move.’

I recognise the voice.

‘David.’

I move slightly out from underneath Chloe. David looks shocked. He has a beard now.

_At least its better than that little moustache thing he had at Blackwell._

He seems to have aged a bit since I last saw him. How long ago was it? Maybe six months ago when he helped us smuggle some supplies in. I haven’t seen him in such a long time.

‘Max…is that you?’

I can see a small smile form on his face. I get up and hug him.

‘David, I missed you.’

I feel arms envelop me.

‘I missed you too.’

We stay like this for a moment.

_I know David can be a bit of an arsehole sometimes, but once you get past that, he is actually a really decent guy. Without him, I would be dead._

‘I was worried Max. You just suddenly disappeared. I thought Logan had got you. I knew that little bastard was trouble.’

I think back to his motionless corpse.

‘It’s ok. We got him first.’

David gives me a benevolent smile and pats me on the back.

‘Atta girl. I’m glad you took on the training.’

He looks around.

‘We had better get going. Who knows what’s out there. We can catch up at my place.’

…

We enter a small house. David leads us into a room.

‘I wish I could offer you coffee or something, but…’

He sighs.

_He always worries about the silly things._

I smile.

‘No worries, David. As nice as coffee sounds right now, its not a priority.’

_I used to be such a coffee addict. I kind of miss it. You find that. You start to miss stupid things that shouldn’t really matter. For a few weeks I started craving waffles. It was torture.  I remember once Kate made the biggest stack I had ever seen. I thought she was going to break me some really bad news. She was just being the awesome and kind person she always was. I would abstain from waffles for the rest of my life just to see her once more, and that is a big commitment because I fucking love waffles._

I hear footsteps behind us. I turn and see Joyce.

‘Why look at that. Hello Max.’

‘Joyce!’

I run over and nearly tackle her.

‘Someone is happy to see me, huh?’

Joyce smiles gently at me and gives me a squeeze. David flops into a chair. He gestures to the couch.

‘Take a seat.’

Chloe and I sit on the couch. Joyce takes another seat. Joyce smiles at Chloe.

‘So Max. Who’s your friend?’

Chloe shifts awkwardly in her seat.

‘My name’s Chloe.’

‘It’s very nice to meet you, Chloe. I’m Joyce and this is David.’

David nods in recognition.

‘It’s nice to meet you too.’

_Well, at least it appears Chloe is playing nice so far. Damn, it looks like Chloe will be getting that bomb trap. Great. That has to be the only she is holding her tongue._

David looks conflicted.

‘Max, where is Victoria?’

My face drops. I can feel a pain in my heart. I slump back into the couch.

‘She…she didn’t make it.’

David looks so sad. I can see tears start to form in his eyes.

‘Oh god. Max, I’m so sorry.’

Joyce puts her hand over her mouth.

‘Oh honey, I’m sorry.’

I sigh. I can feel someone rubbing my arm. It’s Chloe. She gives me a sad smile. I put a hand on hers and squeeze it. David leans forward in his chair and rubs his face with his hands.

‘Victoria is…was a real fighter. She changed a lot since Blackwell, mind you, so had you. You really used to be a timid little thing.’

I feel a small smile tug at my lips.

_I used to be so shy and quiet. Everyone would be surprised at the change. I know Victoria was the first time. She had changed too. She wasn’t so much of a stuck up bitch._

‘I think the apocalypse changed everyone, David.’

He smiles at me sadly.

‘Yeah. It has. We’ve all been through too much.’

His face softens slightly.

‘I remember the first time you guys saw each other.’

He chuckles.

‘Your faces were a picture. You just fought constantly.’

I smile at the memory.

…

**Past**

_Her face registers shock momentarily. Then she composes herself, putting on her usual derisive sneer and mocking tone._

_‘Oh look. It’s the selfie-ho of Blackwell.’_

_Of all the people I had to be stuck with, it had to be Victoria, great._

_‘Piss off, Victoria. I don’t have time to deal with your bullshit.’_

_She frowns at me._

_‘What the fuck is your problem?’_

_I snap._

_‘Oh, you want to know, huh? You finally decide to give a shit about someone other than yourself for a change? Or is it yourselfie?’_

_She opens her mouth to protest, but I beat her to it._

_‘You want to know? Really? Ok then.’_

_I feel my voice escalate out of control, anger pulsing through my veins._

_‘KATE IS FUCKING DEAD AND I CAN’T DEAL WITH THIS FUCKING WORLD ANYMORE!!!!!!!!’_

_Victoria’s face changes. Her once smug grin fades, her eyes become gentle. I see pity in them._

_I don’t want pity. I want Kate back. Pity doesn’t fucking help me._

_‘Max…I…’_

_Fuck this._

_I storm off._

_…_

_I hear a knock at the door. I don’t say anything. I hear footsteps enter the room._

_‘Max.’_

_I lift my head from the bed. Victoria stands there awkwardly._

_‘Have you come to torment me further? Don’t you think I’ve been through enough?’_

_I place my head back down on the bed._

_I’ve had enough of this place._

_I hear a sigh and the bed dips._

_‘Max, I really am sorry about Kate. I know…I know she meant a lot to you…’_

_I whip my head up, almost snarling._

_‘What the fuck do you know about Kate and I?’_

_Victoria flinches a bit. My face softens. I rub my face._

_‘Sorry.’_

_She shrugs._

_‘It’s ok. I probably deserve it after everything I did.’_

_She looks so defeated. I shift to face her and put a hand on her arm._

_‘No, you don’t. I’m just being a total bitch. You don’t deserve to be shouted at and that wasn’t right. I’m sorry.’_

_She smiles slightly._

_‘If you need to talk about it, I’ll be here, ok?’_

_I nod._

_‘Thanks. If you need to talk about stuff, then I’ll be here too.’_

_…_

**Present**

_We still fought after that, but we had some kind of understanding. No matter how badly we fought, we always made sure to have each other’s back. I guess we were just using it as a way to release the tension. We did have some less antagonistic conversations. Fuck. I miss her. Even all the snide comments. If I could only relive every fight we had, I would do it in a heartbeat._

‘Yeah.’

David sighs.

‘At least you made it, Max. I’m glad. Anyway, what did you come here for?’

I clear my throat.

‘We need a car.’

David smiles.

‘I might be able to help you there.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chloe just can’t help it with the bad jokes. Max is starting to get some confusing feelings.  
> David does care, deep down. The apocalypse makes you appreciate people more. At least he has Joyce.  
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter and see you next time. Stay safe out there.


	7. Cliff Hanger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Max and Chloe finally be able to get the car they so desperately need?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody. I’m going to skip out a lot of the travelling and fighting in this one, because it’d like to get the story moving a bit. If I included it all, it would probably be a chapter full of useless info. In the game, you wander around a lot more looking for the car parts. Not fun.   
> Enjoy.

David shifts forward in his chair and gets up. He takes a map out of a drawer near the chair. He places it on the small table in the kitchen and leans over it.

‘There is a truck I’ve been working on for a while, but I didn’t get the chance to finish it completely. A few days ago I was nearly finished, but some Infected stopped me and I haven't been there since. I hope it’s still there.’

He points at the map.

‘Now, I don’t know what’s out there. It’s going to be dangerous, but if you need this Max, then it’s a risk we’re going to have to take.’

I nod.

_We have to get that truck._

David stands up straight, leaving the map on the table.

‘Grab whatever supplies you need. Trust me, you’ll need them. I can come with you if you want.’

_Judging by how difficult it was to get here, that might be a good idea._

‘That’s probably for the best. I’d get lost.’

I turn to Chloe.

‘See if there is anything we could need. I’ll take a look at this map.’

She gives me a quick salute.

‘Yes ma’am.’

I move in front of the map. I see David stroll over to where Chloe is.

‘So, how did you and Max meet?’

‘Well, they kind of met me along the way. I just tagged along.’

‘I see.’

They continue to make small talk while gathering up various guns and other equipment into back packs.

_I was so sure that those two wouldn’t get on. I guess in the apocalypse, some people put aside petty squabbles. With Joyce there, I doubt they could argue anyway. She’d shut them down fast. She really is a force to be reckoned with._

I glance over at them. I can see Chloe audibly relaxing around them. Her body language becomes less guarded, her voice more casual and friendly as opposed to the harsh tone she adopted when we first met.

_I’m glad they all get on relatively well so far. Anything that doesn’t resolve in the house blowing up is a success in my eyes. Joyce and David are the closest thing I have to family now. There is still time. Both Chloe and David are trigger happy._

I’ve noticed that she has definitely become more comfortable around me too. She smiles a lot more than she did the first time. Her face no longer has the sceptical frown from before. I’m starting to let my guard down too. She seems like a decent person. I know you can never tell, but gut instincts are something I have learnt to come to rely on heavily. I’m not usually too far wrong.

I scan the map. David has marked out several areas, like where his traps are and any barricades that have been put up. He has also marked certain areas in red and labelled them ‘nest’. I shudder involuntarily.

_These things have nests? Ew._

I can feel a presence behind me, their warm breath tickling the back of my neck, sending shivers up my spine. Hands are placed beside mine, a pressure on my shoulder.

‘How you doing Super Max? Worked it out yet?’

Chloe stands behind me, resting her chin on my shoulder. I point to the part labelled ‘nest’. Chloe leans forward slightly to get a better view of the map, pressing her body closer to mine, making my heart beat faster. It feels as if it will burst out of my chest. Her face scrunches up in disgust.

‘That’s gross. Can we avoid that if possible?’

‘I second that motion.’

_Just another thing to add to the list of worries._

Chloe turns her head slightly.

‘You ok?’

I bite my lip.

‘Why do you ask?’

‘You seem a bit tense is all.’

I sigh and rub my temples.

‘Kind of.’

‘I might be able to help with that.’

Chloe removes herself from my shoulder.

_What is she…?_

Her deft fingers rub slowly yet firmly at my neck and shoulders. The tenseness that has been building up ever since the outbreak started, starts to disappear. She works diligently, ensuring that every knot is worked out. Her hands are warm against my skin.

_I didn’t realise how much I needed this._

Chloe does this for a few minutes and then gently removes her hands.

‘Better?’

I roll my shoulders back and exhale.

‘Much better, thanks.’

She smiles at me gently.

‘No problem. I don’t want you getting run down.’

David walks over to us.

‘We’ll wait until morning before we go. The infected are usually more agitated at night. Joyce is cooking up something so we’ll be eating in a few minutes. Then you guys can get some rest. You look like you need it.’

I rub my neck.

_I don’t even know how long we’ve been wondering around. Too long. My feet are killing me._

‘Yeah, we’ve been walking around for a long time and haven’t really had a chance to rest properly.’

David points up the stairs.

‘There is a spare bedroom upstairs. I hope you guys don’t mind sharing.’

Chloe puts on a mischievous grin, putting her arm around my shoulder.

‘I don’t mind at all.’

She leans in closer to me, whispering in my ear.

‘Especially when it involves a pretty girl.’

I feel a flush form on my cheeks.

_I shouldn’t get so worked up. She’s just joking…but…_

I swallow. Chloe’s lip quirks upwards into a smug lop-sided grin.

‘Aw, did I make Max blush?’

David chuckles heartily.

‘I think you’ve met your match, Max. Come on, let’s get some food down you. You’ve lost a lot of weight since I last saw you. I’d like to see some of that returning.’

I smile.

‘I’m not going to complain. I’ve missed Joyce’s cooking.’

We walk into the kitchen. David grabs some plates and cutlery and sets the table. Joyce is stood over a counter, preparing something. She brings it out and places it on the table.

‘It’s not much. It probably won’t be 2 Whales standard, but it’s food.’

It looks like some sort of bean mix. It’s a shame Frank’s not here. He’d be all over that.

‘It’s perfect, Joyce. Better than what I’ve been eating for the past year or so. Although I do miss the pancakes and waffles you used to make.’

We all dig in. Chloe sits beside me and shovels food into her mouth. She definitely has a unique eating style. I pick up my spoon and place it in the bean mix. I bring the spoon to my lips and place it in my mouth.

_I’ve got to hand it to Joyce, she really can make anything taste good._

I eagerly start to eat.

_When was the last time I ate properly? A while if this is anything to go by._

Joyce turns to me.

‘So, Max. Where are you headed?’

I finish chewing and place my spoon back on the plate.

‘Well, I need to find an old friend, Warren. He lives too far away to go by foot, that’s why I needed the truck.’

She nods.

‘I remember Warren. He came into the 2 Whales quite a lot. Almost as much as you. Do you know where you’ll go after that?’

_That is a good question. I have no idea where the Firefly base is._

I play with my food using my spoon.

‘I’m not sure, but I’m hoping that’s what Warren can help us with.’

We finish eating. David stands up.

‘I think I’ll be heading on up now. It’s been a long day and we’ll be getting up fairly early in the morning. Have a good night you two.’

David gives me an awkward hug and holds his hand out to Chloe. She shakes it. Joyce comes up and gives us both a big group hug. Chloe looks a bit shocked at first, but soon returns it.

‘See you guys tomorrow.’

‘Night David, Joyce.’

Chloe clears her throat. She rubs the back of her neck.

‘Thanks for the food and…everything.’

Joyce smiles warmly.

‘You are very welcome, Chloe. Any friend of Max is a friend of ours. When you’re ready to come up, your rooms the first on the left.’

She and David leave. Chloe turns to me, her eyes bright, her voice full of excitement.

‘This is going to be so cool. Like a sleepover.’

She motions to the stairs.

‘Ready to head on up?’

‘Sure.’

I follow her up the stairs and we enter the first door on our left. The room doesn’t look like it’s been used in a while. The floor is littered with debris, dust covers every square inch. The window is filthy. I walk up to it and run my finger along it. Moonlight seeps through the small line I made.

_I wonder who used to live here._

Chloe bends down and picks something up. She stares at the object in her hand, looking troubled. Her brow slightly furrows in distress. She closes her striking blue eyes and shakes her head.

‘What you got there?’

She holds out a small toy robot. I feel my chest sink and my heart drop. She looks at me, sadness in her eyes.

‘It sucks to think that there are kids stuck in this fucking mess.’

She sighs and gently places the toy back on the floor. She goes over to the bed and sits on it. I join her.

‘Yeah.’

Chloe sighs.

‘What the hell did we all do to deserve this? What did this little kid do to deserve this?’

She places her head in her hands. Her entire body slumps. I place a hand on her back and gently start to rub. We sit there in complete silence for a few moments. She finally speaks.

‘Can I…can I ask you something?’

‘Sure.’

She worries her lip between her teeth. She takes my left hand in hers. She plays with my ring finger gently for a second and delicately brushes the rings on there. They are simple gold bands on the surface, however if you were to take them off and look on the inside, you would see words that come from the heart. They are only for my eyes to see now. 

‘Why do you have two rings on the same finger?’

_I really wish I didn’t. This ring should be on the finger of another…but I couldn’t leave it. I couldn’t let go._

She sounds even more uncertain when I don’t reply.

‘I noticed it a while ago and thought it seems a bit weird. Why don’t you put them on different fingers?’

I look down at my left hand.

_A reminder of how things were and what I’ve lost._

‘…It’s…’

I try to articulate, to let the words in my head be free…but it’s harder than I thought. Chloe looks away.

‘Look, if it’s painful, you don’t have to tell me. I get that. It’s totally cool. You never have to tell me things you aren’t comfortable with. I’m sorry.’

_Chloe has been so good to me. She hasn’t pushed me to talk about Victoria and she’s just been really sweet. Besides, I can’t keep everything inside forever. I’ll explode._

I lift her head up with my hand.

‘You don’t have to be sorry. I want to tell you...it’s just a bit hard.’

She nods understandingly and tentatively reaches over, touching my hand. I look up at her. Her eyes show uncertainty and worry. She is trying so hard to get through. I take her hand firmly and take a deep breath.

‘Before the apocalypse I…I was in a relationship, with a girl named Kate. The ring belongs to her…I gave it to her. We had a pretty rough ride getting there. I met her at school when I was eighteen and we quickly became friends. She was so friendly and kind that it would have been difficult not to.’

_The first day I arrived, she came to my door and asked if I wanted help unpacking. I gladly accepted the offer. We talked for a while and we kept bumping into each other. We lived really close together so it was inevitable really._

‘Anyway, before I arrived at the school, she had been drugged at a party and ended up kissing a load of random strangers. Someone filmed it and passed it around to everyone. She was mocked and poked fun at. She came from a really religious family and they basically ostracised her. Luckily, I was there for her, if I hadn’t been there…’

_She would have been alone. She would have jumped. She would have died thinking no-one gave a shit._

I take a slow uneven breath. I can feel Chloe rubbing my hand with her thumb. I give her hand a squeeze to show I’m ok. Chloe sits there patiently, waiting for me to tell my story if and when I’m ready. I clear my throat.

‘…anyway, the bullying drove her to the depths of despair. She…she tried to end her life. She went onto the rooftop and was going to jump.’

I turn the top ring on my left ring finger, Kate’s ring.

‘I was walking past at the time. I was actually looking for her. Usually we ate lunch together. I tried texting her, but she didn’t reply, which I found odd. She always replies. She’d been withdrawn and distant. I knew what had happened and told her to go to the police, but that didn’t help with the bullying of course. I tried to do whatever I could to stop it. I’d rub out whatever nasty comments people wrote on her whiteboard outside her room, and call people out when they watched her video and tried to blame her.’

_They couldn’t just leave her alone. Even those people who didn’t actually participate in the bullying did nothing to stop it._

‘I wondered what she was doing, so I followed her. It wasn’t like her to disobey rules. I followed her and…and… I thought my heart was going to stop when I saw her teetering on the edge.’

_I can still hear her voice. That conversation will forever be burned into my memory._

I take a deep breath and continue.

‘I managed to talk her down. We became…close. I spent every waking moment, and most of my sleeping moments, by her side. I didn’t want to lose her ever again.’

I can feel the tears start to form in my eyes. I hold them back.

_Seems I didn’t get that wish._

‘Her mom did not approve of the time we spent together. She tried to push us apart, but in the end, it brought us closer. It was then that…that we both realised how we felt. We…we kissed and Kate’s mom saw us. She kicked Kate out. After we graduated, we moved in together.’

_It was the happiest I had ever been and I think Kate would agree._

_…_

_We lay there on the bed, catching our breath. Kate grips on tightly to my skin. I can feel her heart beating erratically, her breath warm on my neck._

_‘Max…’_

_‘Hmm…’_

_She leans over and kisses my nose. She stares deeply into my eyes. Her hazel eyes glisten._

_‘You’ve made me the happiest person alive.’_

_I shake my head._

_‘Nope. That’s impossible.’_

_She looks confused._

_‘Why?’_

_I hold her close._

_‘That role is already taken by me, because of you.’_

_She giggles._

_‘Max, you big dork. Let’s call a truce and just say we’re both happy.’_

…

‘Everything was finally falling into place. Then…’

_Come on Max, not now. Keep it together._

I run my fingers through my hair. Chloe looks at me worriedly.

_Even after all this time, it’s still difficult to talk about._

‘Then this fucking apocalypse happened. She…she died in my arms.’

Chloe’s face drops. Her mouth opens slightly as if she is about to say something, but then she closes it. We sit there in silence for a few moments.

‘Was she…was she bitten?’

_No. If she had been, it might have been a little easier to accept. This was easily avoidable._

‘That’s the thing, she wasn’t. She got shot by some arsehole. He didn’t need to do it, but he did. He took my angel away from me.’

I grit my teeth. Tears threaten to fall.

‘Max, I…I don’t even know what to say…’

_Neither do I, Chloe. Neither do I._

‘I spent the best part of three years wandering around aimlessly, waiting for death to take me. It nearly did too. I was rescued by a group of survivors led by David and that’s when I met Victoria again. At first I was angry. She had been one of the people who tormented Kate, but she had done everything within her power to make things right while at Blackwell, and Kate had forgiven her. All my anger burst out. She didn’t deserve it, but she never blamed me for it.’

_I was such an arsehole to her the first time._

‘We fought a lot, old habits die hard. We got punished so many times I can’t count. We spent more and more time together. Eventually we hooked up. We had been travelling together ever since, and…well you know the rest.’

I bring my knees up to my chin and hug them.

_It still doesn’t seem real that she’s gone. I’m still expecting her to burst in and dragging me back home and scolding me for taking so long._

Chloe looks sadly at me.

‘Max, I…I know what it’s like to lose someone special like that. My…well I don’t really know what we were, but I loved her a lot. Her name was Rachel. We were fucking around and we got bitten. She said we should wait it out…get all poetic and shit and lose our minds together…but my time never came. I had to watch her… her…’

She closes her eyes, her expression pained. She exhales and looks into my eyes.

‘I know it doesn’t make the hurt go away, but…but just know that I sort of get how you feel. It’s fucking horrible. You feel like your heart has been ripped out of your chest and has been stomped on. I’m… I’m sorry you had to go through it twice. Once is already too much.’

_We’re both broken, we’ve both been through some shit and we both have survived whatever life had to throw our way._

I shift closer to her and place my arms around her. She freezes for a second, but then copies my action. We sit there for a few moments, just holding each other. I hold her tighter than I have ever held anyone before. She holds me just as fiercely.

_I feel better for getting everything off my chest. Sure, it still hurts, but not as much as before._

We break apart and Chloe clears her throat.

‘I’m glad we had this chat.’

‘Me too.’

She gets up.

‘Now we got that mushy shit out of the way, I feel like stage diving.’

I raise my eyebrow at her.

‘With no music?’

She shrugs.

‘We can make our own music. Come one hippie.’

She holds out her hand to me. I smile and take it.

‘Shake that boney white ass.’

She moves my arms with hers. She twists and turns, spinning me round. She doesn’t hold herself to a beat. She switches it up, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. It is chaotic yet beautiful. After a few minutes we flop down on the bed, panting. Chloe nudges my foot with hers.

‘Damn girl, you got some moves.’

She grins at me. Her cheeks are flushed from our dancing spree, her hair slightly dishevelled from the crazy movements, her eyes glistening.

‘Thanks girlfriend.’

For a few moments, I could forget about all the shit that has happened and just enjoy myself. Chloe yawns.

‘Right, now it’s bed time. We got a lot to do in the morning.’

…

My eyes slowly open. Light pierces my vision. I shut them immediately. I can feel a pressure at my back. I carefully open my eyes again and turn slightly. I see Chloe there. She has an arm draped over me, her leg tangled with mine.

_We must have ended up like this sometime during the night._

The first time we slept on the same bed, she was right on the edge, now she is next to me. I don’t want to move. I’ll just go back to sleep and enjoy the down time…

…

I am woken by someone shaking my shoulder. I go to sit up, but am restricted. I feel hands gripping onto my shirt. I look over and see Chloe grasping onto me. I turn back and see Joyce smiling at me.

_She really hasn’t changed much at all, except maybe she looks more tired._

‘Morning sleepy head. Time to get that truck. Shall we try getting Chloe up?’

I shake her.

‘Chloe…’

She groans and snuggles up closer to me. She mutters.

‘Five more minutes…’

Joyce chuckles.

‘I’ll leave you to wake her up. Good luck.’

Joyce exits the room.

‘Chloe, come on. We have to go.’

She opens her vibrant blue eyes a fraction.

‘Max?’

Her voice is heavy with sleep. Her hair is a complete mess, random strands cover her face. Part of me wants to reach out and tuck them behind her ears…but that would be creepy.

_Jesus, Max. Creep alert._

‘Yeah. Up you get.’

She shifts slightly.

‘But you’re warm. I don’t wanna.’

She brings me closer, gripping tightly. I sigh.

_I must admit that I would quite happily sit there with her and lay in bed all day. Unfortunately we can’t._

‘Don’t make me pull you out.’

Chloe sighs and rolls over.

‘Fine. I get it. We have places to go and people to do.’

‘Don’t you mean see?’

She stretches, her entire body cracking, ignoring my question. She yawns and rubs her eyes. She suddenly propels herself off the bed into a standing position. She sleepily stumbles over to the door and turns back.

‘You coming or what?’

…

We have been walking for a while now. David has come along with us. We stopped off at one of his weapon caches and stocked up. He is a little way ahead of us. I walk beside Chloe.

‘So, we nearly there?’

He turns to me.

‘Yeah, just up ahead. I just about had time to lock it last time.’

David takes a key out of his pocket and bends down. He unlocks the door and pulls it up. Inside is a truck. David exhales.

‘You’re in luck you two. Just give me a few minutes to check it’s all in order.’

Chloe turns to me.

‘I’ll give this place a once over. You never know what you’ll find.’

I nod.

‘I’ll come get you when we’re done here.’

Chloe wanders off into the house. David gets in the truck and turns the key. There is a revving sound, but the engine doesn’t start.

‘Ok, at least it isn’t completely busted. We just got to give it a push, get it started and then fingers crossed it should run.’

I walk in front of David.

‘Will you come with us?’

David shakes his head.

‘Joyce and I have talked about this. For a while we thought about going, but we have a good thing here. We have some friends who are going to come here soon. I met up with them when I was helping you smuggle stuff into the city. I think I’m ready to try and set up a safe haven. Fix everything up and start over. This time, those raiders won’t get the jump on us. Not again.’

He turns to me.

‘You could stay here too if you wanted. There would be a place for you and Chloe.’

_As tempting as that sounds, we have to move._

‘We have things we have to do right now. Maybe once that’s all done, we’ll come back if that’s ok.’

David nods.

‘We’d love to have you guys here. We need more competent people.’

I swallow.

‘So…I guess this is it for a while, huh?’

‘Yeah.’

He holds out his arms. I go up to him and hug him.

_He isn’t usually very touchy feely, but it’s nice._

‘I’ll miss you.’

He squeezes me.

‘Me too, kiddo. Stay safe out there.’

We break apart. I walk over to the stairs and call up.

‘Yo, Chloe. We’re ready to go.’

I hear footsteps come down the stairs.

‘What do we need to do?’

‘Chloe, if you get in the truck and we’ll push. Max, you run and get in it.’

Chloe climbs in the driver’s side and sits down. I stroll over and tap on the window of the truck. She rolls down the window.

‘What’s up?’

I lean in the car.

‘Chloe…you ok doing this?’

She laughs.

‘You’re the one with the hard job.’

_She has a point._

‘True…just know that you’re doing a good job so far.’

She looks determined.

‘I won’t let you down, Super Max.’

‘I know.’

David opens the garage door. I get behind, ready to push.

‘Put her in first.’

‘Gotcha.’

David joins me behind the truck. We begin to push it. The car rolls down the small slope.

‘Now!’

The engine revs, the lights flicker, but it stops just out on the street.

_Damn it._

We run over to the truck and push hard.

‘Again!’

Chloe puts her head out of the window.

‘Guys to your left!’

I look where she points and see a couple of infected.

‘Shit! We need to move.’

They get closer and closer. I whip out my gun and take aim. I hit one in the head. The body falls back, limp and lifeless. I hear Chloe laugh.

‘Nice shot, Super Max.’

David finishes off his opponent. He pats me on the back.

‘I’m glad you remembered you’re training.’

We resume our pushing. I hear more noises. I glance behind. There must be at least fifteen.

‘Fuck, there’s too many.’

We manage to push it to a small hill. We quickly jump in the back.

‘Floor it!’

Chloe tries again, this time the engine bursts to life. She accelerates and we speed off away from the hoard now amassing in the street.

…

We pull up and drop David off outside his house. Joyce comes out. I get out of the car and walk up to her.

‘So, you’re leaving now?’

_I am. I have to._

‘Yeah, Joyce, but when we’re done with everything, we’ll come back.’

Joyce looks like she is going to cry. She hands me a box.

‘Take the rest of the food from yesterday. It’s not much, but it should get you through.’

 I give her a hug and nod at David. I enter the truck again and turn to Chloe.

‘Let’s go.’

Chloe gets in gear and starts to drive. David and Joyce stand outside and wave us off. We’re on our own again.

…

We’ve been driving for a while now. Chloe and I switched over a few miles back. She is sitting in the passenger’s side. I hear an exasperated sigh.

‘Oh man.’

I look over to her.

‘What?’

Chloe leans over and presents a comic book. The pages are slightly yellowed and a bit ripped. She sounds annoyed.

‘Dude that is so fucking unfair. Look.’

She points at the bottom of the page. It reads ‘To be continued’. She throws the comic in the back in frustration.

‘I hate cliff hangers. It’s not like I can get the next one.’

She pouts. It takes everything to suppress the laughter.

‘Maybe we can keep an eye out for it on our travels.’

She leans her head on her hand and looks out the window dejectedly.

‘I guess. It still sucks.’

_A lot of things do now. You’ve got to take the small pleasures when they come._

‘Yep. Maybe we can make our own ending if not.’

Chloe looks thoughtful, stroking her chin.

‘That could be cool.’

I smile at her. She looks pretty hyped up about the idea.

‘Next time we get some down time, we’ll do it, ok?’

Chloe grins from ear to ear.

‘Hella yes.’

She rootles around in my bag.

‘Oh yeah. We can use that CD now. The car has a CD player. I figured you’d want yours in.’

She places the CD in the slot. The music begins to play and slowly wash over us.

…

**_Don't you know that I'll be around to guide you_ **

**_Through your weakest moments to leave them behind you_ **

**_Returning nightmares only shadows_ **

**_We'll cast some light and you'll be alright_ **

**_We'll cast some light and you'll be alright, for now._ **

**_…_ **

Chloe shakes her head, suppressing a smile.

‘Man, you really are a hipster, huh?’

She leans back in her seat and takes a magazine from her bag. She begins to read.

‘You found another comic book?’

‘I don’t know if I’d class it as a comic book as such.’

I look over and see it’s a porn magazine.

‘Oh dog, Chloe.’

She scoffs.

‘What? Can’t I have a little fun? It’s not like I’m a little kid.’

She flicks through the pages.

‘Damn girl. Mad respect.’

She mutters to herself.

_Trust her to find that kind of thing in a zombie apocalypse._

‘Where did you even get that?’

She looks at me mischievously.

‘The house with the truck in it.’

She pauses.

‘Why are all the pages stuck together?’

I turn to her abruptly.

‘What?!’

Chloe bursts out laughing.

‘I’m fucking with you. Man, you should have seen your face.’

She stashes the magazine back in her bag. I turn back and look at the road.

‘If you wanna look at it, just say.’

I rub my temples with my free hand.

‘I don’t think I will.’

Chloe shrugs.

‘Suit yourself. I’ll remind you of that later. It’s not like you find a lot of people to let off steam with in this place.’

_You’re telling me._

‘Maybe I don’t need to look far.’

Chloe raises an eyebrow.

‘What? Did you just…?’

_Shit! I said that out loud._

I feel my cheeks heat up. I refuse to look at her.

‘N…nothing.’

I glance over to Chloe. I see Chloe sat there. She bites her lip and looks out of the window. I swear I can see her blushing as hard as I am.

‘Ok, if you say so.’

We remain silent for a few moments. Chloe shuffles in her seat slightly. She turns to me, looking uncertain. She opens her mouth, then closes it, shaking her head. She sighs and speaks. Her voice is hesitant and wavers.

‘Maybe you’re right. Maybe you can find someone to do that shit with who’s…close to home. It’s possible…right?’

Her eyes show hesitation.

_Things just got really tense quickly. Is she…?_

I bite my lip. My heart beats faster.

_Is she suggesting something or am I reading more into this? I am so bad with this sort of stuff._

‘Well, I… I think so, eventually. I mean…the other person’s got to want to as well.’

Chloe stares at me intently.

‘I think the other person would be happy to do that.’

I swallow and focus on the road.

‘Right…right…’

I hear Chloe mutter something that sounds like ‘maybe I won’t be needing that magazine after all’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we have some more Pricefield progress, which is always a good thing. Guys, have a great day and see you next time.


	8. Cold Nights and Stolen Kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. How’s it going? I hope 2016 is treating you well so far.  
> This chapter goes on a bit of a tangent from the original story, but I’m sure it’s a tangent which shall be much appreciated. You know why? *throws about 1500 words of NSFW stuff at you then runs and hides around the corner* It’s a clit and run (I am so sorry, that was terrible. Forgive me. I really shouldn’t be allowed to make jokes).  
> Yep, we got NSFW stuff in the second half of the chapter, I’ll leave you to see how much, don’t want to spoil it. Heads up, it might get pretty detailed, depending on your definition of detailed. Hey, we are 8 chapters in (when did that happen?) and it’s a frickin’ zombie apocalypse.  
> I will bold it, so if you want to avoid it, you can. If you aren’t comfortable reading it, you don’t have to. The story will make perfect sense without it. There is a bit at the end after the NSFW stuff.  
> Also, there is blood and violence in the first half. Oh it’s all happening this chapter.  
> Enjoy.

We’ve been driving for a while now. All I have seen are trees and endless fields. We finally reach what appears to be a city, well, there are lots of buildings at least. As we drive down the road, I can see cars strewn on the left hand side, completely blocking off the way.

‘Oh, no, no, no, no.’

I stop the truck.

_This isn’t happening._

Chloe leans forward to inspect the graveyard of cars.

‘Huh, well that makes things a bit more complicated.’

I lean back in the seat and sigh.

‘Yeah.’

_When is it ever easy?_

Chloe looks thoughtful.

‘Well, how I see it, we have two options, one turn around and try to find another way or two, turn right and go through this place. Sure it might be risky, but we can’t really afford to go back.’

I rub my face with my hand.

‘You’re right. We need to get there and we don’t have the time to go for a joy drive. Screw it.’

I turn the wheel right and we go down the road. As we travel, a man in front of us tries to wave us down. He stumbles around, clutching his side. I stop the truck abruptly a few metres ahead.

‘Please…help.’

I turn to Chloe.

‘Put your seatbelt on, Chloe.’

She takes the belt and clicks it in.

_We both know what this is and what we have to do._

I floor the pedal, the guy suddenly appears to be fine and draws his gun. From behind him, several other guys run out onto the street, all holding guns and other weapons.

This is an ambush.

I drive as fast as I can. As we drive, the truck is pelted with bricks and bullets. I manage to knock one or two of these arseholes with the truck. The passenger side window shatters, Chloe turns away from it. Just when I think we are clear, a bus collides into us, causing us to crash into a building.

My vision fades and my world turns black.

…

‘Uh…mmm…’

A shattered windscreen comes into sight. I look around and see Chloe. She turns to me.

‘That was so fucking cool. Let’s do it again.’

I can’t help but laugh, even in this dire situation. Laughing makes my stomach hurt. I’ve probably got a few bruises.

‘Oh dog, Chloe. I would pay to never do that again. Come on out we get.’

Chloe opens the passenger side door and is grabbed.

‘Get the fuck off me.’

I hold onto her leg, trying to pull her back, but someone pulls me back violently. They smash my head through the glass of a storage cabinet and push my head down, trying to impale my neck on the jagged piece of glass left at the bottom.

‘Fuck you. Get off me or I will fucking feed you your own balls.’

I hear Chloe’s voice spewing all sorts of colourful language.

_I can’t die now, she needs me. I promised. No-one else._

I manage to break free of his hold. I elbow him in the face and throw him on the shard he tried to off me with. I hear a slicing noise and his throat is cut, blood pouring from the gaping hole. He rolls around, clutching at his neck, guttural sounds coming from where he lays. It makes me feel a bit ill, but now is no time for that. I shift to my right and see Chloe struggling with the guy who is holding her. She bites his arm and manages to free herself. The guy slaps her across the face and she falls.

…

_I hear a smack. I turn and see some arsehole standing over her. She sits on the floor, clutching at her cheek._

_‘That’s what happens when you don’t respect me, bitch.’_

_I have never moved so quickly in my life._

_‘Oh look, someone else wants to join the party.’_

_He saunters up to me. I knee him in the balls. He falls to the floor, writhing in agony. I kick him hard in the ribs, causing him to recoil. No-one can stop me, no-one would dare. They watch as I pulverise this piece of shit. They fear I might do the same to them if they interrupt. I hear bone crunch, I’m not sure if it is mine or his, I don’t care. No-one should treat anyone that way, especially not someone I care about. I pause for a moment. The guy looks up at me, his eyes puffy, his face bruised. I lean down and whisper._

_‘This is what happens when you don’t respect me, bitch.’_

_Just as I am about to continue, I feel myself being pulled off._

_‘Let go off me. I’m not finished with this fucker.’_

_I struggle against the person who restrains me, but they tighten their hold._

_‘Max.’_

_I immediately stop. It is Victoria._

_‘Don’t lose yourself over this. I’m fine, ok.’_

_My body relaxes. She let’s go. I resist the urge to spit on the guy coiled up in a ball on the floor. I grab hold of Victoria’s hand and flinch a bit. I think I’m definitely going to get a few bruises. We walk over to the medical tent as David rushes out to see a broken man crumpled up on the floor._

_…_

I run up and smack the guy as hard as I can in the face with my fist. My fist throbs, but I disregard the pain. I grab his hair and smash his head against a counter several times. Blood splatters, bone crunches…

_No-one else!_

I feel a hand on my arm. I turn, ready to attack, when I see Chloe’s concerned blue eyes staring back.

‘Max…I think he’s dead now.’

I throw the body down to the floor. I lean against the counter and run my hand through my mid length brown hair.

‘Sorry…’

She hugs me tight.

‘Thank you for saving me. You totally smacked his punk ass down, Max.’

I reach round and hug her just as tightly.

_The thought of losing her…_

I never truly realise how much taller Chloe is until we are close like this. She must be a good four inches taller. I can smell the faint and lingering scent of cigarette smoke on her clothes. It’s oddly soothing. She is slightly emaciated, but then so am I. It’s not like there is an unlimited food supply out here. The last time we ate properly was at David’s and that must have been at least a week or two ago, if not longer. The concept of time has kind of gone out of the window. My watch has long since broken, the screen smashed.

_We need to find food. That should be a priority._

We break apart.

‘Ok, let’s give this place a sweep. See if there is anything.’

‘Rodger that.’

I thoroughly check every shelf and cupboard. There is a door that’s locked.

‘Yo Chloe. Can I borrow your knife?’

She passes it to me and I manage to pry it open. We walk inside the room. Obviously the guys who attacked us were storing things here. There is food, medicine, ammo and other useful supplies. Chloe’s eyes widen in delight.

‘Jackpot! Cha-ching!’

She walks up to one of the shelves and takes a can. She raises an eyebrow.

‘Canned Peaches…well I’m not complaining.’

‘Let’s grab this stuff.’

Chloe motions towards the bodies in the other room.

‘It’s not like those guys will be needing it anymore.’

We eagerly place everything in our backpacks.

‘This should last us a few days.’

Chloe yawns.

‘We should really find somewhere to bunk down soon. It’s getting dark and I don’t know about you, but I’m getting tired.’

_I must admit, I could do with a lie down._

‘Ok, first secure place we see, we’ll settle down and have a feast.’

‘Sounds good to me.’

…

Eventually, we manage to find a fairly secure building. There is only one way in and we blocked it off. We checked every room to ensure no-one was here. When we came back clear, we went upstairs and chose a room to settle down for the night in. I think it used to be a house, because it had a bedroom. Sure, the bed was a little rotten, but Chloe jumped on it a few times and it didn’t collapse. We cleared a space on the floor and are now sitting, eagerly anticipating food. I take all the cans out of my bag.

‘So, what do you fancy? We can even have some dessert too.’

Chloe rubs her hands together.

_You don’t really appreciate food until you can’t get it anymore._

She carefully examines each can. She takes them in her hands, turns them over and carefully inspects the label. My stomach grumbles.

‘Chloe come on. You’re such a tease. Don’t make me beg.’

She flashes a mischievous grin, her eyes twinkling.

‘Maybe you **should** beg, Max. I think I’d like to see our fearless leader grovelling at my feet.’

‘Are you being serious?’

‘Hella yes.’

I roll my eyes.

‘Oh please, Chloe the greatest and smartest person left in this entire world, may I please partake in some canned peaches.’

She strokes her chin contemplatively.

‘Gonna need a little bit more grovelling first.’

I sigh.

‘Fine. Chloe, the brave, fearsome, beautiful warrior…’

Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

‘Wait…you…you think I’m beautiful?’

My cheeks flush and heat up.

_Fuck. Well done Max. The creep meter has rocketed through the roof._

I rub the back of my neck.

‘Well…yeah I guess. I mean, I have eyes you know. It’s just the truth.’

Chloe sits there for a moment in silence. She bites her lip, looking conflicted.

‘I guess you might not be so bad yourself.’

‘Thanks.’

Chloe looks me in the eyes. Her vibrant blue eyes are serious, hiding nothing from me. They display her innermost desires if I wished to see them.

‘No I…I really mean it. Even with all the blood and brain caked on your face usually, you’re still looking pretty hot.’

I feel my heart race and my breathing become slightly uneven. We sit there, really looking at each other. The thought of food long gone from our minds. I can see her eyes roam my face, taking in all my features. I bet she tried to count the freckles dotted on my nose. I can see it in her eyes. They wander down to my lips briefly.

‘Max…’

My stomach gurgles again and Chloe bursts into laughter.

‘Oh man. Come on. I think you’ve begged enough.’

_That was…tense. I need to get my head in gear. Focus on the mission._

She picks out a can. She wipes her knife on a piece of cloth and stabs it in the can. She produces a small bowl from her bag.

‘Where did you get that?’

She shrugs.

‘Found it in a house a while back. I got one for you too. I thought they might be useful. Also got a couple of spoons. It’s probably a bit more hygienic than using our hands which are usually covered in blood and shit.’

‘Good point.’

She passes me the cutlery and bowl. She takes the can and halves the content. We descend on our food.

_Before the apocalypse, I was a really slow eater. I took twice as long as everyone else. Kate always used to stare at me, lean her head on her hand and smile after she had finished, waiting for me. Now, I’m too hungry to care. Something tells me that Chloe has always been like this._

Chloe leans back on her hands and sighs contently.

‘I have no clue what was in that can, but it was amazing.’

She reaches over for the canned peaches and opens it up. She licks her bowl clean and pours half of the peaches into it. She hands the can to me. I take it and place them into my bowl. We devour the peaches with gusto.

_I haven’t felt this full in a long time._

Chloe reaches into her bag and produces a bottle.

‘I still got some left if you want any.’

‘Why the fuck not?’

I grab the bottle from her and take a large sip. I forgot how strong it was. The liquid pours down my throat, leaving a burning sensation. My head spins a bit. I pass it back to Chloe.

‘It still tastes like ass. I can’t believe people paid for this before.’

Chloe takes a swig and scrunches her face up slightly.

‘Yep, but it’s better than nothing.’

She places it on the floor and takes a water bottle from her bag. She pours a bit of the water into her hands and rinses them. She splashes some on her face, cleaning away the worst of the blood and dirt. She gives it to me and I freshen up.

‘Dude, that is better.’

I splash the water on my face. It’s refreshing to be able to do this.

‘I feel you.’

I feel sleep trying to take over my body. I stretch.

‘I think I might turn in now. You coming?’

Chloe stands up.

‘Sure.’

We walk over to the bed and climb in. Chloe lays near the edge. I sigh and turn my head towards her.

‘You’ll fall out if you stay there. You can actually be on the bed, you know.’

Chloe shuffles closer to me, still keeping her distance. I sigh and move back, so my body is pressed against hers. She tenses for a moment.

‘Just relax, ok?’

I feel her body relaxing beside me.

‘Yeah.’

Her arm rest awkwardly on her side.

‘You don’t have to keep your arm there all night. It’ll get uncomfortable.’

She speaks hesitantly.

‘Where should I put it then?’

I take her arm and guide it over my waist.

‘Isn’t that more comfortable?’

I hear her clear her throat.

‘Yeah it is. Is it ok for you?’

I shuffle back, closing the small gap between us.

‘Fine by me.’

We lay there in silence for a few moments. The warmth from Chloe’s body mingles with my own. My breathing begins to steady. My eyes begin to close.

‘Max…’

A worried voice penetrates the air.

‘Hmm…’

I turn over and am face to face with her. She looks down slightly, her voice hesitant.

‘What would you do if… if I dared you to kiss me?’

I raise an eyebrow.

‘What?’

She says it with more conviction this time, staring into my eyes. She shifts her gaze back to my lips, reaching up and brushing them with her fingertips.

‘What would you do if I dared you to kiss me?’

_What would I do? Even I’m not sure._

‘I guess you would have to ask me to find out.’

She is silent for a few moments. She moves her vibrant blue eyes to gaze at me.

‘Max, I… I dare you to kiss me.’

That was all I needed. I lean in and kiss her. I roughly move my lips against hers, an action she copies. Our kiss is desperate, our hands roaming each other, trying to realise that this… this is happening.

_We are here alive in a fucked up world and we are together until the end._

My hands tug at her jacket, which she shrugs off, briefly breaking our kiss. I feel her hands at the bottom of my shirt pulling, asking for permission. I lift my arms above my head and she takes it off, throwing it to the floor, where it crumples up in the small pile of clothes accumulating on the floor. Cold air caresses my exposed skin, causing me to shudder.

‘Heads up, it’s really cold.’

‘Got it.’

I help her out of her top. I slowly pull it up, exposing a plain black bra. When the top is nearly off her head, just covering her eyes, I steal a quick kiss.

‘Hey, no fair.’

She pouts.

‘You left yourself open.’

She straddles me and leans down close to my face, placing a gentle kiss on my nose.

‘There is a punishment for stealing things you know.’

‘Oh yeah?’

She passionately kisses me, gently tugging at my bottom lip. She slides her tongue into my mouth, exploring. When it meets mine, they dance to some unknown tune. As we kiss, my fingers trace her skin. They discover all the contours of her body, all the cuts and scrapes she has obtained, both old and new. I gently run my fingernails down her back, which makes her shudder involuntarily. I finger her bra strap. She breaks away from me, grinning.

‘You are feisty, Max.’

I smile at her and ping it. She reaches back, rubbing the wounded area.

‘Ouch. What was that for?’

I giggle.

‘Sorry, I couldn’t help it.’

I reach back around and begin to undo her strap.

‘Payback.’

She grabs a strap on my shoulder and pulls, suddenly letting it go.

‘Ouch. Ok let’s call a truce.’

‘Fine by me.’

My hands are shaking slightly as I begin to tackle the strap.

_This is all happening so fast, but I don’t want to stop it. We could die tomorrow, or in a week, or in one minute. As much as I love Victoria and Kate, they are gone. They aren’t coming back. I have to understand that as painful as it is. Victoria made me promise that if she… passed that I wouldn’t stop myself from being happy. She saw the effect Kate’s death had on me. I know Kate would have said the same. I’ve got to take the small joys in life when they come, because it is almost guaranteed that more shit is going to happen than good things._

* * *

  **I finally manage to undo it. I throw her bra to the floor. I stare up at her breasts. They are slightly bigger than mine.**

**‘My eyes are up here, you know.’**

**She chuckles.**

**‘Come on, your turn.’**

**I lift my body up slightly so she can reach my back. This brings me closer to her and slightly increases the friction I feel between my legs. I think Chloe realises this, because she ever so slightly moves her hips. I let out a shuddery breath and she exhales slowly. She manages to undo my bra and adds it to the ever growing pile of clothing. She takes a few moments to inspect my body, I do the same to her. She kisses my lips, pressing her body hard against me, our exposed skin rubbing together, causing my body to tense up slightly. I sigh into her mouth.**

**She places a kiss in between my breasts, then moves to the right. She kisses all the way up to the nipple, which she then takes in between her teeth and gently tugs, causing me to let out a small moan of pleasure. She slowly runs her tongue along it. She takes the other with her hand and pinches, rolling it between her thumb and finger, all the time watching me intently to gauge my reaction. I hum in approval, my body move instinctively closer to hers. I reach down to her jeans and tug at the zip. I undo the button and she slides out of them. Her underwear is a different colour to her bra, a sort of orange.**

**_She has to rebel against everything. Not that I can talk. Mine don’t match either. Not that matching underwear is a real issue now._ **

**She moves her way down, leaving a trail of kisses down my stomach. When she reaches the waistband of my jeans, she pops the button and takes the zipper in her teeth, pulling it down excruciatingly slowly, all the time looking up at me, a slight smirk on her lips.**

**_I knew she was going to be a tease._ **

**She finally pulls my jeans down. I lift up to help her remove them. We are both now only wearing underwear. Chloe goes back to her kiss trail, however she starts on the inside of my leg. She leaves a trail of kisses up the inside of my thigh, occasionally giving a playful nip. She looks at me amusedly**

**_She’s enjoying watching me squirm way too much._ **

**I move, trying to get closer to her.**

**‘Chloe.’ I whine.**

**She moves closer. She reaches my underwear. She places her lips on the fabric. I can feel her poking her tongue, gently probing, her teeth grazing. My breath hitches. A slight moan passes from my lips. I can feel her smile.**

**‘My, my, Max. It’s pretty wet down here already. Getting hot and bothered?’**

**I can feel her tongue venture deeper, but it is restricted by my underwear. Chloe catches my eye.**

**‘Do you want to?’**

**My voice is little more than a breathy whisper.**

**‘Yes.’**

**The corner of her lip quirks upwards into a lopsided smile.**

**‘What is it you want exactly?’**

**_She knows. She is just fucking with me…well mentally for the moment._ **

**‘I…I want you to…’**

**I can feel Chloe’s finger playing with the top of my underwear. I swallow. She looks up at me, amusement in her blue mischievous eyes.**

**‘To what?’**

**She slowly slides her fingers under the fabric, her fingernails gently scrapping my skin. A trail of fire is left on my skin where she traces. My body tingles.**

**_I have to stay in control…or at least try. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to hold out._ **

**‘To…to fuck me.’**

**She smirks.**

**‘Yes ma’am.’**

**She takes the fabric between her fingers and painstakingly lowers it. I try to hurry her along, pushing her hands down, but each time I squirm, she pauses.**

**‘Patience my dear Max. There’s no need to rush this.’**

**She’s right I know, but my body is starting to disobey me. Carnal instinct is starting to take over. My body wants to jerk and squirm, but I clamp down. Finally after what seems like an eternity, I finally feel the duvet on my bare skin.**

**_Thank fucking god._ **

**Chloe leisurely brings my underwear down my legs. I can feel her fingers run down them. Then, I feel them come back up. Chloe places her hands on my hips. She makes herself comfortable, then kisses up my leg again. She moves closer and closer. I hold my breath in anticipation, my body tenses.**

**_This is it. Finally._ **

**She places a kiss on my exposed lower lips and slowly runs her tongue along my slit. My body shudders slightly at the sensation. She gently pushes her tongue further, taking long leisurely strokes, finally entering me. My body is on fire now, a coiling pressure beginning to build up in my stomach. I can feel her tongue inside me, pleasuring me. I clench the bed sheets, trying to keep in control. She reaches up one of her hands and places it on mine. She ventures deeper, broadening her strokes. I inhale sharply.**

**‘Fuck!’**

**My grip on the sheets tightens. Chloe waggles her tongue playfully, causing me to moan involuntarily. I can feel my body coil more and more. She continues to alter her movement. Side to side, wide circles…**

**‘C…Chloe…ah…mmm…’**

**She picks up her pace. With each stroke of her tongue, the heat and tension in my body increases. My mouth is parted more than usual, my face warm. I can feel sweat on my brow. My vision starts to become slightly unfocused and hazy, my heart beat becoming more erratic, my breathing more uneven. I tangle my fingers in Chloe’s hair, trying to bring her closer, as close as possible. My hips move of their own accord, trying to find my release. I feel as if I am about to explode. My toes curl in a vain attempt to relieve the unbearable pressure building up inside me. Chloe holds me steady, unwavering. She works diligently, continuously picking up pace and applying more and more pressure with each stroke.**

**_I don’t know if…_ **

**‘I…I think…’**

**Chloe pushes her tongue even further. I feel myself start to unravel. She seems to notice I’m close and so picks up her pace significantly. The coiling tension building up inside is all too much to bear. Suddenly, as if a switch is flicked, I feel it reach an undefined climax. Her name passes my lips.**

**‘Chloe!’**

**The sound reverberates off of the walls. I can feel myself shake and shudder. A warmth spreads throughout me. The tension in my body suddenly releases. My body tingles. I can feel Chloe slowing down, easing her way out. She gives me one final kiss, then moves back up and slides in beside me. She envelops me with her arms. My head spins slightly. I can feel Chloe kiss my forehead. I take a moment to catch my breath.**

**‘Your turn.’**

**Chloe strokes my cheek.**

**‘You up to it?’**

**‘Don’t insult my stamina.’**

**I capture her lips, kissing gently. My fingers walk down her stomach, making their way down. I feel Chloe’s leg tense in anticipation. I deepen the kiss, working my way further down. I massage her inner thigh, getting closer and closer. She tries to move my fingers closer to her, each time I walk them back down her leg.**

**_Two can play at this game._ **

**Eventually I reach between her legs. I trace my finger around her entrance, she moan slightly into my mouth. My fingers tease her, causing her to shift.**

**_Ok, enough teasing. I don’t think she’ll last too much longer like this._ **

**I slowly insert my finger into her, the wetness helping to ease it in. Chloe inhales sharply and closes her eyes.**

**‘You said I was wet.’**

**She opens an eye and looks at me.**

**‘I’ve watched you getting off, that was a real turn on.’**

**‘I can see that.’**

**Her breath hitches slightly as I move my index finger slowly at first. She bites her lip, suppressing the noises. I lean close to her ear and whisper.**

**‘I want to hear you’re beautiful screaming, I want to hear you cry out my name…don’t stop it.’**

**She releases her lip from her teeth and let’s out an uneven shuddery breath.**

**‘Ok.’**

**My finger explore further and deeper, causing Chloe to exhale. I move my finger around, trying out different motions to find the one which drives her wild, circles, zig zags... I can see the sweat forming on her brow. It rolls down her face onto her naked body. Her hands find their way to my back, her nails digging into my skin. I take another finger and place it inside her. This causes her to shudder and her nails to dig in even more to my pale skin.**

**_That’s going to leave a mark._ **

**I start to curl them.**

**‘Fuck…M…Max…’**

**Her hips begin to buck as she tries to find her release. I slow down slightly, trying to prolong it.**

**‘Maaaaax.’**

**She whines.**

**‘Your turn to beg.’**

**She looks at me with a look I cannot deny. My eyes full of desire and lust.**

**‘Please…’**

**Her eyes plead with me. They are unfocused. I quicken my pace slightly, her head lolls back a fraction, her cheeks flushed, her mouth open and panting. She moves her head to my shoulder and bites down on it gently. I apply more pressure, faster and faster. She is starting to lose control. I can see it in her eyes and her body language.**

**‘…I…Max…mmm…’**

**I place another finger in. Her voice cuts out, no longer able to make coherent sentences. Her hair is plastered to her face due to sweat. Her body tenses more and more. I continue, trying to help her find the release she so desperately searches for, the release she helped me obtain.**

**‘Max!’**

**Suddenly her body shudders, then slackens. She looks so beautiful like this.**

**_It’s a shame I don’t have my camera anymore. It would have made for the perfect picture. Not that I could forget the way she looked ever. It is burnt into my mind forever._ **

**Her body relaxes and she leans back onto the bed, her breathing heavy. She closes her eyes. I ease my way out, lick my fingers clean, savouring it and snuggle up close to her. I kiss her cheek. I can feel her hot breath against my skin.**

* * *

 

‘Well, I think all that food we ate is kind of redundant now.’

_Trust her to come up with that._

‘Yep.’

We lay there, holding each other close. I try to still my beating heart and get my breath under control. Chloe places her lips on my shoulder. I reach out and brush a stray strand of hair from her face. She grabs my hand and kisses it.

‘Was…was that all too soon?’

She looks apprehensive and unsure, her eyes exposing the worry she feels.

_Nothing is ever too soon now._

I place my forehead against hers and find her hand. I grab it and interlace our fingers.

‘No. You have to take what you can in this fucked up world. If you wait too long, it could take it away from you. I don’t want that.’

She beams at me.

_That smile is all I need to see to keep going._

‘Me neither.’

She clears her throat.

‘I am kind of hungry now.’

I shake my head, smiling.

‘Me too. Let’s grab some more food.’

I lean down and grab my bag.

‘Max…’

‘Yeah?’

I turn to face her. As I do, I feel her lips pressed against mine. She pulls away.

‘That’s for stealing a kiss off me earlier.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this chapter will be thrown straight in the sin bin, and I don’t regret it for a second. So yeah, first full on NSFW chapter ever for me. That was fun. I hope it was ok. Stay safe out there guys and I’ll see you next time.


	9. Do Not Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe and Max are getting ever closer to finding the firefly base. Will they be able to find Warren?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Sorry this has taken so long to get done. It’s finally here though. I hope you’re all doing great today. There will probably be another 4/5 chapters or so left of this story and I still plan on doing the whole Marshfield/Chasefield spin offs at some point.   
> Enjoy.

Light pierces my vision. I roll over, trying to prevent it from invading my eyes. It’s too late. I’m already awake now. I reluctantly open my eyes and am meet with the sight of Chloe’s sleeping face lying beside me. Her hair is dishevelled, her face relaxed. My mind races with memories of last night…

_Our bare skin touching, her gentle kisses, her fingernails digging into my skin, her eyes pleading with me to release her, my name falling out from her like a confession…the face she made when…_

I smile to myself.

_Wowser. At first I thought all that stuff was a dream. It all seemed too good to be true._ _But I guess it actually happened._

In her sleep, Chloe shifts closer to me, her face literally inches from mine.

_Her breath kind of stinks, not that I can judge._

I reach out cautiously and remove a strand of hair from her face. Her blue eyes flicker open.

‘Hey.’

She blinks a few times, then places her forehead against mine.

‘Hi.’

Her bleary eyes focus on mine, gazing deeply into them.

‘You sleep ok?’

‘Like a baby. Best sleep ever.’

Chloe grins.

‘Good to know. I have to admit, that is the soundest I’ve slept in a long time.’

_I always found it easier to sleep with someone beside me. I guess then I don’t feel so alone. I think now I need this more than ever._

‘So, when are we going on our first proper date where you buy me food and shit?’

I can’t help but laugh.

‘A date? In the middle of a zombie apocalypse?’

She raises one of her strawberry blonde eyebrows.

‘Oh, don’t you dare go using that excuse on me. I’m not letting you get out of it that easily.’

_It would be nice to try to reclaim a bit of our previous lives._

‘Tell you what. When we get to the firefly base and they’ve done whatever they need to do, then I’ll take you on a date, ok?’

Chloe beams at me.

‘I’ll hold you to that, Caulfield.’

‘You’d better.’

Suddenly, I hear voices from below and the door downstairs rattles.

‘Hey, this door won’t budge. D’you reckon someone’s holed up in there?’

‘Only one way to find out.’

_No, no, no._

‘Shit!’

We jump out of bed and quickly throw our clothes back on.

‘So much for taking a second out of our busy schedule, huh?’

_We have to move, now._

‘How are we supposed to get out of here?’

Chloe glances out of the window overlooking the street.

‘There are too many of them to fight…’

_Come on…think, Max._

I look around the room. There is another window not facing the street. I prise it open and hang out of it. A small ledge leads to the opposite building.

_Maybe we could use it to shimmy over to that other building._

I tap Chloe on the shoulder and point.

‘We need to use this ledge to get out of here. It’s the only way.’

Chloe gives me an apprehensive look.

‘I don’t suppose now would be a good time to say I’m not fond of heights…’

I grab her hand tightly.

‘I won’t let you fall. Promise.’

These words seem to make her relax a bit. I step out of the window onto the thin ledge which is just barely big enough for my feet.

‘Do not fall.’

‘I won’t. Don’t you fall either.’

_I hope…_

I press my body as close as I can to the wall and take small cautious steps along it, Chloe not too far behind me. My heart beats hard and fast.

_Ok, Max. Don’t look down. Nearly there…just a little further…_

I finally manage to get over to the window of the opposite building. I let out a sigh of relief.

_Thank dog._

As soon as I enter the window, I am pulled to the side roughly, an arm around my neck, a gun pointed to my head. A voice whispers threateningly in my ear.

‘Don’t move.’

I hold my hands up.

‘Ok, ok. Just chill out. I’m not gonna hurt you.’

Chloe jumps through the window, her gun pointed at whoever is holding me.

‘Let her go, now. I won’t ask twice.’

_Damn it. Does this never end?_

Another voice penetrates the air from behind us.

‘Jesus. Put that down and let that poor girl go. I literally go away for two seconds and you end up in this kind of situation. You know those guys don’t keep women around for very long. They aren’t with them.’

The arm around my neck loosens.

‘Yeah…sorry. I just get jumpy.’

The arm lets go, thankfully. When I turn around, I see two people I recognise. They stare back at me in disbelief, blinking in confusion.

‘Max?’

There are two women, one brunette and one blonde.

‘Dana… Juliet…’

They run up to me and give me a huge hug.

‘Oh god. I thought we’d never see you again.’

‘Me too.’

_Damn, I missed these guys._

They break apart and give me a once over. They glance over at Chloe, Dana gives me a look confusion.

‘Where have you been? Where’s…?’

Her eyes suddenly go darker, her face dropping.

_I guess she was going to ask about Kate. She must have figured it out._

‘She…she didn’t make it…’

Juliet covers her mouth with her hand.

‘Oh, Max. I’m so sorry.’

I shrug.

‘Yeah.’

_I don’t think it’s ever going to be easy talking about it._

I glance over at Chloe, her eyes asking me if Dana and Juliet are ok. She still has her gun pointed slightly at them, just in case. I go up to her.

‘Chloe, it’s ok.’

She sighs and lowers her gun, placing it back in her pocket. I give her a peck on the cheek.

‘Thanks though.’

She offers me a small smile.

‘Well, I would be a pretty shitty person if I had my way with you and then let you die, wouldn’t I?’

I can’t help but blush slightly at her words.

‘Yes. I’m glad for that.’

Dana steps forward towards us.

‘It’s so insane to see you again. We thought we would never see anyone we recognised ever again. Have you seen anyone else?’

_Yeah… Victoria._

‘I… I saw Victoria again.’

Chloe looks worriedly at me. Dana and Juliet glance at each other, seemingly having a quick non-verbal conversation. Dana clears her throat.

‘Is she… ok?’

My eyes focus on my boots.

_The ones I got when I joined up with David’s group. When I met up with Victoria again, when…_

‘No.’

I feel Chloe’s hand on my arm, gently rubbing it.

_It doesn’t make the pain go away, but it helps to make it less._

‘Oh…’

Dana doesn’t press further.  She closes her eyes for a moment in thought.

‘Look, maybe we can help each other. If we work together, we’ll have more chance of making it out of this place alive. We have a hideout not far from here. We’ll probably need to go at night when the patrols aren’t so dense. Plus, I am wiped, I could do with a nap. When we get out, we can figure out what to do next.’

Chloe pulls me back gently, her voice low and quiet.

‘What do you think? I mean, you seem to know these guys. Are they trustworthy?’

_It’s always better to be safe and sorry, but Dana and Juliet are pretty harmless…unless you piss them off…especially Juliet._

‘I trust these guys. They went to Blackwell with me. Safety in numbers, right? Besides, it’ll be nice to have some company, don’t you think? I mean, apart from each other of course, which is always nice…I’m not saying I don’t enjoy your company or…I’ll just shut up now.’

Chloe chuckles at my rambling.

‘Max, I get it. Don’t worry so much.’

She brushes her hand against mine.

‘I’m hella with you.’

We turn back to the other two.

‘You got yourself some companions.’

Dana smiles at us warmly.

‘Great. We’ll stock up and get ready to move out later. Follow us.’

Chloe’s hand finds mine as we walk. I grab hold of it tightly.

_It feels nice to just be able to do this kind of thing again. Have someone you care about, and have that person care for you. I know I haven’t really known her for that long, but I feel some kind of really strong connection with her. Like we’re on the same wavelength…at least I hope so._

Juliet glances back at us.

‘So, how come you guys are here?’

_That is a long complicated story._

‘We’re looking for the fireflies. Warren runs with them, or at least he used to. I’m going to find out where they are from him… well, that’s the plan.’

Dana gives me a knowing look.

‘Warren, huh?’

_Warren…. How can one define Warren Graham?_

‘Yeah, I know. It’s gonna be awkward.’

Dana lets out a small laugh.

‘When isn’t it with Warren?’

_She has a point._

Juliet comes up to a door. She takes a key out of her pocket and opens it.

‘Come on in. Make yourselves at home.’

We walk into an office. It seems to have escaped the worst of the apocalypse.

_It had probably been locked before Juliet and Dana got in here…not that there would be too many useful supplies in an office. It’s mostly rusty staples and unsharpened pencils._

Chloe makes a b-line for the desk chair. She plonks herself down on it.

‘It’s ugly, but damn is it a cosy chair.’

_Of course she would focus on that. It’s a freakin’ zombie apocalypse… but Chloe’s only concern is that she has somewhere comfy to sit down._

‘Dude, it’s not all about looks. That chair has a lot of personality.’

Chloe smirks at me.

‘I can’t fault you there, Mad Max. I shouldn’t be so judgemental.’  

Dana smiles.

‘Glad to see you haven’t changed, Max.’

_Anyway, onto more serious matters._

‘So, how long have you two been holed up in here?’

Juliet shuts the door and locks it.

‘A few days.’

Chloe’s stomach grumbles. Dana giggles.

‘Good thing we have some food in, huh?’

‘Hella yes. I am starved.’

_Chloe really has an insatiable appetite._

Juliet goes to a cupboard and comes back with a couple cans of food. She passes them to Dana.

‘Care to do the honours?’

Dana smirks at her.

‘Well, aren’t you the gentlewoman?’

Juliet gives Dana a quick kiss.

‘I try to be.’

_After their pretty dismal dating record, it’s good to know that they seem happy._

Dana taps Juliet on the nose.

‘Don’t forget, you still owe me diner when this is all over… and you still need to do my laundry.’

Juliet shakes her head in disbelief.

‘Still?’

Dana holds up her hands.

‘Hey, after all the shit you gave me with Zach, I think it’s not unreasonable.’

Juliet shrugs.

‘Ok, fair enough. I did act like a complete bitch.’

Dana puts an arm around Juliet.

‘Well, if it’s any consolation, you’re my complete bitch.’

_This is too cute._

Dana turns to Chloe and I.

‘Anyway, let’s get a bit of down time before we have to go. We have a lot of ground to cover.’

Dana and Juliet settle down on the floor, huddled up together. I sit on the floor, leaning my back against the wall. Chloe comes and joins me.

‘How’s it going?’

‘Everything considered, I’d say it’s going pretty good.’

‘I hear that.’

There is a moment of silence.

‘Max…’

‘Hmm…’

‘You know…’

Chloe bites her lip, preventing the words from falling.

‘Never mind.’

She looks off into the distance.

‘Chloe…’

She closes her eyes.

‘Ok, fine. Look, I just…I just wanted to say that…that I’ve really enjoyed having you around and…and…’

‘And?’

She sighs in exasperation.

‘Damn it. I do not do well with this soppy shit. What I’m trying to say is that I think…I know I kind of like you…a lot.’

_Wowser. Ok, that was the last thing I was expecting._

I shuffle closer to her, resting my head on her shoulder.

‘I maybe kind of like you a lot too.’

‘Really?’

I nod slightly.

‘Yep.’

Chloe glances down at her boots. She taps them together, a small smile forms on her face.

‘Ok…good then.’

She rests her head on mine.

‘I really do mean it.’

I place my hand on hers.

‘I know. I do too.’

…

**Autumn**

We walk through the forest area, tall trees loom over us, water glistens below, a well-trodden path lays before us. Dana and Juliet hang back, both chatting away and giggling.

_At least there is some joy left._

I look out over our surroundings, taking in the sunlit area. My feet ache.

_We’ve been walking forever. Our escape attempt from the city was fairly successful, if you haven’t already guessed. We all managed to make it out somehow. It really wasn’t easy. After we escaped, we decided to stay as a big group. Dana and Juliet just want somewhere to settle down, they are tired of running. I am too, but I can’t…not just yet._

Chloe holds my hand tightly as we walk, swinging her arm gently as she does so.

_She’s definitely been a lot more touchy feely recently, something I for one am thankful for._

‘So, Warren, huh?’

I lift my head up towards her.

‘What?’

Chloe grins at me.

‘You shall be reunited with your long lost love. How romantic. Brings a tear to the eyes.’

I sigh and run my free hand through my hair.

_I could really do with cleaning up. My heads kind of itchy. We haven’t had much chance to stop. For a while, those arseholes back in the city tried hunting us down. Luckily, we evaded them._

‘How many times are you going to bring this up?’

Her eyes hold a mischievous glint.

‘That depends.’

‘On?’

She shuffles her feet and looks down at the floor. Her voice is hesitant.

‘On whether you actually do take me out on that date.’

I roll my eyes, but can’t help but smile.

‘I promised, didn’t I? As soon as this shit is all sorted out, we’ll go on the best date ever.’

This answer seems to pacify Chloe enough. We continue walking hand in hand towards our destination. Chloe is really quiet.

_If there is something I’ve learnt in the past few months, it is that when Chloe is quiet she has something on her mind._

‘What’s up?’

She shifts uncomfortably beside me, trying to stall. When she realises I won’t drop the issue, she sighs.

‘About Warren…’

_Why is everyone so obsessed with Warren?_

‘Can we not talk about him, please?’

Chloe worries her lip between her teeth.

‘There’s just one thing then I’ll drop it.’

_One thing…_

‘Fine.’

Chloe plays with my finger.

‘You guys never…you know?’

_Oh dog._

‘Ew, no. Warren’s a good friend, but that’s it.’

Chloe sighs in relief, her entire body relaxes significantly.

‘Wait…are you worried about it?’

She looks at me defiantly.

‘Me? Worried? No way.’

_She so is._

‘You so were for a second.’

Chloe waves her hand at me nonchalantly.

‘Why would I be worried? I’ve already sampled the goods.’

‘Chloe.’

She sighs. Her guard comes down slightly. She seems to fold in on herself, her shoulders hunching inwards. Her voice more mumbled and apprehensive than usual.

‘What do you want me to say? That I’m hella insecure and I’m not sure why someone like you would go for someone as fucked up as me? There, I said it.’

‘Chloe…’

Chloe looks down at her feet, refusing to meet my eyes. She lets go of my hand and walks over to a tree, leaning her back against it. I walk over to her, placing my hand on her cheek. She looks up from the floor. I lean in and kiss her, pressing my body into hers as I do so. Her eyes close and she returns my kiss. I pull away, my voice low.

‘When will you understand? I like **you**. Not Warren. Not some random person I’ve never met…you.’

She offers me a small smile.

‘I dunno, some of those infected look hella sexy.’

 ‘I hope you’re joking.’

That impish grin I have come to know so well returns.

‘If you were infected, I’d still find you hot.’

I playfully nudge her.

‘Oh yeah, because rotting and fetid is so in this season. Well, I have no intention of fulfilling your weird fetish.’

Chloe pouts.

‘Damn, Max. You are so cruel. Don’t complain when I leave you for my zombie lover. I gave you ample warning.’

‘Now that is a Jerry Springer episode I would like to watch.’

A voice from behind us shouts.

‘Get a room you two!’

Dana grins, Juliet laughs. Chloe blushes ever so slightly.

_It’s kind of cute._

I grab Chloe’s hand and pull her along.

‘Come on, we’re nearly there…I think.’

‘You think?’

_Uh…_

I rub the back of my neck.

‘It kind of all looks the same.’

The four of us continue to walk among the trees.

‘Damn, I am sooooo hungry.’

_It has been a while since we’ve had a decent meal._

‘Yeah. We need to find some food soon.’

Chloe elbows me gently.

‘Maybe I could just eat you instead.’

She winks.

‘You have an insatiable appetite.’

Chloe shrugs.

‘I can’t help it. It’s what you do to me.’

I smirk at her.

‘Maybe later… if you behave and if we actually find some proper food.’

‘I’m holding you to that.’

_This meeting with Warren is gonna be so awkward._

I bite my lip. Chloe’s playful tone turns to one of worry when she looks over to me.

‘You ok?’

_I don’t know._

‘It’s just that I haven’t seen Warren in so long and we didn’t part on the best terms.’

_After Kate…passed, I shut myself away. I wouldn’t talk, wouldn’t eat for a while…one day I just upped and left without telling him. I wandered off on my own, waiting for death to claim me. I bet he is so pissed._

‘I know he’ll be happy to see you, who wouldn’t be?’

We approach the gate of a power plant.

‘Last time I saw Warren, he was just North of here. Let’s hope he hasn’t moved on. We can cut through this power plant.’

‘Yay. More walking.’

‘Instead of complaining, why don’t you give me a hand with this door?’

We both take hold of the door and start to pull. Dana and Juliet come over to give us a hand. I hear the cocking of guns.

‘Don’t even think about reaching for your weapon.’

A woman with long black hair tied back in a ponytail points her gun at us. We all put our hands up.

‘We didn’t know this place was occupied. We’re just trying to make our way through.’

The woman steadies her gun at my head.

_Oh great. Like we haven’t already been through enough of this shit._

‘Through to where?’

I am about to answer, when a hesitant voice speaks up.

‘Max?’

I turn to the source of the voice, a stunned Warren stands there.

‘Warren?’

He runs up to me and hugs me.

‘Max. Shit. I thought you were dead.’

‘Sorry.’

_Even though he was such a pain in the ass, I’ve missed him._

The woman, who turns out to be Brooke, comes down and joins us. She crosses her arms and squints at me.

_Oh man. Let’s hope all that bullshit with Warren has died down. It’s been so long, surely she’s gotten over it, right?_

‘Thanks for not blowing my head off, Brooke.’

‘Don’t thank me too soon. There’s still time.’

_I’m not quite sure if she’s joking or not. Better steer clear from pissing her off._

He motions to Chloe with his head.

‘So, who’s your friend?’

Chloe tenses up slightly at this. I grab Chloe’s hand.

‘Girlfriend actually. Her name’s Chloe.’

Chloe looks happy, if a little shocked, by my admission.

_Unfortunately, last time I told Warren I had a girlfriend, it didn’t stop him from trying._

A flicker of disappointment enters his eyes, but it is soon gone.

‘I guess everyone’s finding love in the apocalypse. And people told me the movies had got it wrong.’

Brooke seems to relax a bit knowing this news.

‘Yes, like us, right Warren?’

He clears his throat.

‘Yep.’

He motions for us to come in. The four of us follow Warren.

_This place seems well fortified, which is always a good thing._

Warren glances back at us.

‘So, what are you guys doing here?’

I walk a bit closer to him, but not too close.

_I don’t want Brooke to freak out on me._

‘It’s kind of a long story. I need to have a major chat with you.’

He nods.

‘Sure thing.’

He motions to the area.

‘We have electricity, well had. One of the turbines has gone down.’

‘I’m sure Mr science nerd will get it back up and running.’

‘Brooke’s the real science nerd.’

A couple of brown horses are tied up in front of us. Chloe strolls over and pets one of them. Dana and Juliet go over to see the other horse.

‘Man, it has been so long since I’ve seen a horse.’

I walk up and stroke the horse tentatively.

‘Yeah. Me too.’

She offers me a huge toothy grin. Warren comes up behind us.

‘Food is nearly done.’

Chloe grabs my hand excitedly at the mention of food and drags me along.

‘Oh thank god. Come on, Max. Food.’

_As tempting as that is, I need to talk to Warren._

‘You go on ahead.’

Chloe scratches her head, looking a little disappointed.

‘Ok, don’t take too long or I’ll eat it all.’

‘Don’t I know it.’

She waves and follows Brooke, Dana and Juliet. Warren and I wander off down the corridor.

‘When did you get here?’

Warren turns to me as we walk.

‘It’s only been about a week or so. The old place got over run. We were wandering around for ages when we came across this place. Seemed as good a place as any.’

‘It’s a nice set-up.’

Warren opens a door to our right. He stops and shifts uncomfortably.

‘Uh… I got something for you.’

He walks over to one of the beds and grabs a backpack. He reaches inside and takes out a photo. He passes it to me. I take it and inspect it. My heart sinks.

The photo is worn around the edges and a bit stained, but you can clearly see what it shows. Two girls, one with mid length brown hair and blue eyes, the other…the other with blonde hair in a bun and dazzling hazel eyes. They both look so happy and…alive. Part of a lighthouse can be seen in the background. The brown haired girl kisses the blonde haired girl on the cheek, causing her to beam.

I swallow hard and rub my fingers over the photo.

_Kate…I failed you. Not only that, but I also failed Victoria. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry._

I take the photo and place it in my bag.

_I can’t risk losing anyone else…_

‘You want to talk about it?’

I shake my head. Warren plays with his hands nervously.

‘Ok, if you need to, I’m here.’

I nod.

_Is everyone I love just going to keep dying around me?_

He leans on a desk near the beds.

‘So, what did you want to talk about?’

_How long will it be ‘til…‘til Chloe…? I mean, sure she can’t get infected but…but you need to be more scared of the Living than the Dead. It’s not like it makes her invincible._

‘We need to get Chloe to the main firefly base.’

Warren gets out a map of the desk drawer. He marks the way on it with a pen. He scribbles down a few instructions and holds it out to me.

‘That should get you there. I’ve made the instructions very simple. I know what you’re like with directions.’

I take the map and gaze down at it.

_I think of Chloe’s smile, her sparkling eyes…I can’t let her die. I don’t think I can withstand someone else being ripped from me…_

‘Warren…’

‘Yeah?’

I place the map down on a desk.

‘I don’t know if I can trust myself taking her there.’

He raises an eyebrow questioningly.

‘Why?’

_Because I have failed too many people._

‘After…Kate and…and Victoria…I don’t want anyone else to die and that’s all that happens to the people around me.’

‘Max…’

My eyes plead with Warren.

‘Please, take her there for me.’

‘But…’

I offer him a forced smile.

‘I’ll catch up with you guys later, yeah? I just…she means a lot to me and I don’t want to risk it. Also, I kind of need some time to myself to think about a few things. Put some demons to rest, you know? But she needs to get there as soon as possible. We can’t afford to waste time.’

Warren closes his eyes in thought for a moment. He lets out a huge sigh and nods.

‘Ok, Max. If that’s what you need, then I’ll help.’

‘I owe you.’

‘You don’t owe me anything, Max.’

I go to walk out, but stop. I peer back into the room.

‘Warren, for what it’s worth…I’m sorry I just bailed on you.’

He waves away my apology.

‘It’s ok, Max. If I were you, I probably would have done the same. You were hurting, and I was hardly helping. I’m just glad to know you’re ok.’

‘Stay safe out there, Warren.’

I walk out of the room.

_Time to tell Chloe the plan. I’m sure she won’t like it, but I just can’t lose someone again._

I go to the other room, the one where the others are eating and laughing. I take a moment to really look at Chloe. She’s really digging into her food. When she finally notices me, she waves, a huge beaming smile on her face.

‘Yo, Super Max. I saved you a seat.’

_She isn’t making this easy. I don’t want to do this…but it’s the only way of guaranteeing she is safe. I’m surprised we have survived this long on our own._

I walk over to her.

‘Chloe, can I have a word?’

‘Sure.’

I place a hand on her shoulder.

‘In private.’

She gives me a cheeky grin.

‘Ooh la la. I am hella there.’

Chloe follows me out of the room. Warren passes by us, giving me a small nod as he enters the food hall. We go outside to a more secluded area. I stop abruptly and turn to her. She stands there, her hands shoved in her pockets, waiting.

_I should just say it outright._

‘You’re going with Warren and his lot the rest of the way.’

Her face falls, her brow furrowing in confusion.

‘Wait… what?’

‘Chloe…’

Her face turns from one of confusion to unadulterated rage.

‘Max, what the fuck? I thought we were a team.’

‘We are, but…’

She shakes her head and scowls.

‘Fuck that!’

Chloe runs off before I have the chance to explain. She jumps on a horse and gallops off.

_Shit._

I run and get the other horse and go as fast as I can, spurring the horse on.

_Well done, Max. You officially fucked up._

I frantically search for hoof tracks. They are clear in the mud, thankfully. I follow them. I jerk the horse as they change course.

_Chloe, why didn’t you wait for me to finish?_

I urge the horse to go faster. We jump over roots and rocks.

_Chloe…please…_

Finally the trail stops. A log cabin sits in front of me. I can see the horse Chloe was riding tied up to the side.

_I guess she’s in there._

I tie my horse up next to Chloe’s, then proceed to enter the cabin.

_Where did she go?_

‘Chloe…? Are you here?’

No answer.

I rub my temples.

_Where could she be?_

‘Up here, Max.’

_Oh thank dog. I thought she’d completely run away for a second._

I race upstairs, almost falling over a few times in my eagerness. There are several doors. I open the middle one and enter the small bedroom. A set of drawers sits to the left, a double bed to the right. Windows let in bright sunlight, overlooking the forest. By one of the windows sits Chloe, staring out into the wilderness.

‘Max, I…’

Before she speaks anymore, I launch myself at her and hug her tight.

‘Please, don’t run off like that again. You almost gave me a heart attack.’

I feel her arms wrap around me so tightly, she sounds as if she is going to cry.

‘Did you really mean it? What you said before?’

I pull away from her and look into her blue eyes.

‘I’m going to meet up with you guys later...’

Chloe stares back out of the window.

‘That’s what they all say. I’ll be back soon, we’ll meet again real soon… then…then they never do. You’re the only person who hasn’t abandoned me…please don’t…I can’t be alone again…’

She turns back to me.

‘Why, Max?’

_Because I’m a fucking idiot. I don’t want to let you go, but…I’m a coward._

‘Because I don’t trust myself getting you there safely. Everyone I have ever loved dies around me, Kate, Victoria… I couldn’t stand to lose you too.’

The warm tears begin to fall down my face. I feel a light pressure on my cheek, Chloe kisses the tears away.

‘You won’t.’

She leans in and kisses me, the sweetest and most gentle kiss she has ever given me.

_I can’t get enough of her. I was just scared…_

She pulls away, her face still close to mine.

‘Look, I know you’ve lost a lot, so have I. I don’t want to lose you either, but going our separate ways seems stupid. We should be spending as much time together as possible. I trust you, Max. Besides, I’m a big girl…I can look after myself.’

_I know all of this. I’m so stupid._

‘Yeah…I know.’

Chloe stands up abruptly and offers me her hand.

‘So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get going.’

…

We make our way back to the power plant. Warren meets us at the gates.

‘You found her then.’

I dismount.

‘There’s been a change of plan. I’m going to take Chloe there now.’

Warren smiles.

‘Good. I’m glad to hear that.’

I pass him the reigns, but he shoves them back at me.

‘You can keep one of the horses. You’ll need it more than us. Also, here.’

Warren passes a bag over to me.

‘It’s not much, but…’

I hug Warren.

‘Thanks.’

He tentatively hugs me back.

_I bet Chloe is keeping an eye on him._

‘Remember, there is always a place here for you guys. When you’ve finished…whatever it is you’re doing, you should come back and visit.’

We break apart. Dana and Juliet walk from behind Warren.

‘We’re going to stay here. Get settled. Stop running.’

I nod.

‘I get it.’

They pull Chloe and me into a hug.

‘Stay safe out there you two.’

‘We will.’

I take the reigns of the horse and lead it away from the gate. The others wave Chloe and I off. Chloe rubs her hands together.

‘So, who’s driving this bad boy?’

_I have a feeling that if I let Chloe control the horse, we’ll end up being bucked off._

‘We need to work out where we need to head off to first.’

I take the map out and examine it.

_Warren’s scrawled notes should come in handy._

My heart stops when I see the first main direction…

**Head to Blackwell Academy.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I skipped out a lot of the travelling and I couldn’t very well kill off Wardson. I think I’ve done enough damage. I’ll see you next time.


	10. I Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blackwell is sure to bring back some memories for Max.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. How’s it going? Get ready for the feels with this one. Then again, it’s like that for pretty much every chapter, huh?  
> I think there will be at least another four chapters of this story left (the Left Behind DLC, the whole Winter part, the ending and an epilogue). I will still be doing the whole Marshfield/Chasefield spin-off series at some point, which should have a bit more fluff in it.  
> Enjoy.

We ride up to Blackwell, the building imposing, casting long dark shadows on the path before us. All that can be heard is the gentle click of Bongo’s hooves on the floor. Chloe named him. She said her cat had that name. He got run over when she was around thirteen. Since we didn’t ask Warren if the horse had a name, I agreed to it.

_So many memories are tied to this place, some terrible, some the happiest moments of my life. It’s all bittersweet now. It feels like a thousand years ago…_

A hesitant, shaky voice brings me out of my thought.

‘Hey… you ok?’

Chloe looks over her shoulder at me, her expression worried. She got her own way in taking control of Bongo. Initially, she rode as fast as possible, bashing us around all over the place in her excitement. It kind of made me feel a bit sick. Eventually, she calmed down after me threatening that I wouldn’t speak to her again, among other things, if she didn’t quit it. She offers me a small sad smile. I lean my head on her back, gripping onto her tightly.

‘Yeah… just… remembering stuff.’

She takes my hand in hers along with the reigns, not saying a word. We continue through the grounds in complete silence. We sway slightly from side to side as Bongo trots proudly along the path. He’s a pure white horse, really tall and a huge sap, a real gentle giant. He loves attention. I sat there petting him for an hour and he still hadn’t had enough. I let out a deep sigh and clutch on tighter to Chloe.

_It’s strange to think that just over five years ago, I still came here… before everything turned to shit._

‘Can we stop?’

Chloe gently pulls back on Bongo’s reigns.

‘Sure.’

_I have to put all this to rest. I can’t keep running away._

We get off Bongo just outside the dorms. Chloe goes off to find a spot to tie him up. My eyes automatically focus on the roof. I remember how relieved I was when Kate reached out to me and how quickly I pulled her away from the edge. It was an indescribable feeling. Obviously, before then I felt like my heart was going to explode when I was trying to get her to come down. She looked so desperate. She didn’t want to jump, I could tell. Everyone just stood there and watched her. No-one helped.

_If I hadn’t been there… not that it matters now._

Chloe’s hand brushes gently against mine, like she is scared I wouldn’t want her to be here. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I take her hand in mine firmly and we continue to the dorm. I push lightly on the door. It creaks open. I listen closely to see if anyone’s around, Chloe does the same.

_I can’t hear anything, so that’s a good sign._

This place is not the one I remember. It’s completely ruined. It wasn’t ever the nicest decorated place, but this… this is on a whole new level. The wallpaper peels off of the walls, some parts of it sun-bleached. All manner of small plants grow through cracks in the walls, some of them have even pulled the wall apart, making large holes to accommodate them. It smells of damp in here, not that it didn’t before. It’s just more prominent now. We continue up the stairs to the girl’s dorm, a route I have walked so many times. A few of the stairs feel like they are going to collapse, luckily they stay intact… at least for the most part. We finally make it to the top. My hand instinctively reaches for the door handle and pushes it open. The corridor before me is a state. The once blue carpet is covered in dirt and debris. Where the window used to be at the end of the hall, there is now just a hole, shattered glass covering the floor. The whiteboards have faded messages still visible on them. The corkboards still have all sorts of irrelevant fliers and pieces of paper pinned to them, along with blood stains. We creep down the eerily silent corridor. As we tip toe our way down, I recall the faces of those who used to live here.

_I wonder how many of them made it this far. At least Dana and Juliet are ok… that’s something._

When we get to Kate’s door, my heart sinks. I stand there, just staring at the door. Chloe gives me some space, hanging back. I psyche myself up to enter a room I have not been in for such a long time, a room I experienced some of my fondest memories. I open the door cautiously and enter. Not much has changed, except that it is much messier than when Kate was here. Abandoned books and scattered papers litter the floor. Dust particles float around in the air, dancing in the sunlight. I walk over to the smeared window and open it, letting in a refreshing breeze. I scan the room, a torrent of memories burst into my mind. I close my weary blue eyes and immerse myself in them…

…

_‘ **Come on, silly…’**_

**_She leads me by the hand, tugging and pulling impatiently as I stumble forward blindly. She insists that I keep my eyes closed. I almost trip a few times. I trip enough as it is with my eyes open, I don’t need a further disadvantage. She is always there to catch me though._ **

**_‘Kate. What are we doing?’_ **

**_Her voice echoes around me, her tone light and cheery._ **

**_‘You’ll have to wait and see…’_ **

**_She is such a tease. Suddenly, she lets go and I hear a door creak open. The scent of orange hits my nose, the faint sound of music…. She takes my hand again and pulls me in, my ear tickled by her warm whispers._ **

**_‘Open…’_ **

**_When I open my eyes, I see we are in Kate’s room, but it has been transformed. Multi-coloured fairy lights line the walls, a small orange candle sits on her bedside table, her bed is covered in an impressive collection of pillows and blankets I didn’t even realise she had, her computer sits on a make-shift stand, the smell of pizza…. I take a second to fully appreciate everything in the room before I turn to Kate. She grins at me, throwing her hands in the air._ **

**_‘Surprise!’_ **

**_She did all of this… for me?_ **

**_‘Kate…’_ **

**_She takes my hand in hers, squeezing gently. Her voice is soft and full of emotion, her hazel eyes gaze lovingly into mine, eyes I could so easily get lost in if I let myself… like I have so gladly done in the past._ **

**_‘I… I wanted to show how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You’ve been the only person who stuck by me through everything. You’ve given me the strength I needed to carry on. You have done so much, and you never ask for anything in return, ever. You just… keep giving. I want to give you something in return.’_ **

**_I feel a smile forming on my lips. I pull her in for a hug, wrapping my arm tightly around her small frame. She is so sweet, it makes me want to cry._ **

**_‘Thank you.’_ **

**_Kate’s laugh tickles my ear. It’s a sound I could listen to over and over again. If it were the last sound I was ever to hear, I could die a happy girl. Kate’s arms find their way around me, squeezing me tight._ **

**_‘There’s no need to thank me, Max. You deserve it.’_ **

**_…_ **

**_I swallow hard, my hand hovering in front of Kate’s door. It has been for the past few minutes._ **

**_‘Damn, this is harder than I thought.’_ **

**_I reach into my jeans pocket and grip on tightly to the small box. A strong wave of confidence suddenly flows through me and I knock firmly on her door. Her sweet words fill the silence._ **

**_‘Come in, it’s open.’_ **

**_I take a deep breath and step inside to see Kate sitting at her desk. As I approach her, she shuts down her laptop and spins around to face me, beaming._ **

**_‘Max! What a pleasant surprise. I was sure you’d be hurrying to finish off that assignment.’_ **

**_I rub the back of my neck._ **

**_‘Ha…yeah…I’ll get round to it.’_ **

**_Kate laughs._ **

**_‘You’d better. I don’t want to lose you to work. You promised to take me out on Thursday and I’ll be damned if I let you wriggle out of it.’_ **

**_She stands up and walks over to her bed. She sits down, shifting until she is sufficiently comfortable, then pats the empty space beside her. I take the nerve wracking steps to her and perch myself on her bed. She turns to me, her eyes twinkling, her lips turned upwards into a smile… a smile I have become accustomed to seeing._ **

**_‘So, what’s up?’_ **

**_Her gentle expression makes the nerves I feel lessen. When she is here, I can’t feel scared or nervous. I take her hands in mine._ **

**_‘Kate…’_ **

**_She sits there patiently, waiting for me to continue. She always does, which makes the decision I am about to make that much easier. I play with her hand, pushing her fingers from side to side, twisting one of the many rings on her right finger._ **

**_‘I’ve been thinking a lot about… us.’_ **

**_She beams at me._ **

**_‘Me too.’_ **

**_My foot taps nervously on the floor. You can do this, Max._ **

**_‘Well, I was thinking that… the thing is… I…’_ **

**_The words get caught in my throat. Damn it, Max. Kate sits there, her eyes gently questioning. I don’t think I’m going to be able to say this without making a complete fool of myself. I reach inside my pocket, taking out the small box with shaking hands and pass it to her. Kate looks puzzled, one of her blonde eyebrows raised questioningly._ **

**_‘What’s this?’_ **

**_‘I guess you’ll have to open it to find out.’_ **

**_Kate stares at the box for a moment, really examining it. She shakes it gently, weighing it in her hand. She does this with everything she ever gets. It’s kind of cute how hard she tries to try and work out what’s inside. Eventually, she takes the lid off of the box. Her eyes widen, her mouth opens as if she is about to speak, then closes again. She stares at me incredulously._ **

**_‘Max…’_ **

**_I worry my lip between my teeth and look down to her hand._ **

**_‘I wanted to show you that I am 100% committed to you. I figured this might help. I mean, I know it’s not quite the same, but it’s similar, right? I know you probably had everything imagined a certain way and this isn’t it, but… I know we can’t really do it now, with school and everything…’_ **

**_My incoherent rambling is halted when I look up at Kate to gauge her reaction to all this. She has a very interesting expression on her face, it is equal parts confused and overjoyed. It’s like her emotions battling in a civil war for domination of her face._ **

**_‘Max… are you…?’_ **

**_I give her hand a small kiss and gaze into her eyes, eyes that are so expressive._ **

**_‘Kate… I have never felt this way about anyone else before. I can’t imagine living my life without you, ever. The more time we spend together, the more I can see that. The first possible opportunity I get, I am dragging you off to wherever I need to and we are getting hitched… well, that is if you want to of course… I promise my heart to you, Kate, if you want it.’_ **

**_Kate glances down at the two rings, then back at me, her face breaks out into the biggest smile I have ever seen her give. She doesn’t just smile with her mouth, her entire face lights up, her body expressing her joy too. It looks like she is about to break out into tears, her voice thick with emotion._ **

**_‘Max… I… of course. Nothing would make me happier.’_ **

**_I take her hand carefully in mine._ **

**_‘Kate Beverley Marsh.’_ **

**_Kate groans slightly._ **

**_‘Do you really have to say my middle name? You know I hate it.’_ **

**_I chuckle._ **

**_‘If I’m doing this, I’m doing it properly. Now I’m going to have to say it again.’_ **

**_Kate rolls her eyes at me, smiling the entire time._ **

**_‘Kate Beverly Marsh, will you do me the honour of putting up with me and my lame puns until we are old, grey and bitter about life?’_ **

**_Kate beams at me._ **

**_‘I do… unless they are really bad puns, then I am out of here.’_ **

**_‘Ouch. Way to belittle my punhood. ‘Til bad pun do us part then.’_ **

**_She giggles and holds out her left hand. I take one of the rings and place it on her finger. She stares down at it, a small smile gracing her lips. She holds the other ring between her fingers._ **

**_‘Maxine Caulfield.’_ **

**_I sigh, Kate grins evilly._ **

**_‘Hey, it’s your turn to face your full name now.’_ **

**_She clears her throat._ **

**_‘Maxine Caulfield, I am in need of a tea drinking partner, someone I can trust to be there for me no matter what happens, someone who will make me feel the happiest I have ever been, someone who will hold me close at night and chase away my nightmares. Would you do me the honour of being that person?’_ **

**_I smirk at her cheekily._ **

**_‘I don’t know. I’ll think about it.’_ **

**_She pouts and crosses her arms._ **

**_‘Max!’_ **

**_Kate grabs one of her pillows and hits me with it. I laugh, holding up my hands defensively and moving out of her reach._ **

**_‘I’m joking. Jeez, I said I’m joking. I need all those brain cells, I only have a limited supply. Don’t subject me to the Marsh wrath.’_ **

**_She giggles and places the pillow back on her bed._ **

**_‘You had better be joking.’_ **

**_I hold out my hand._ **

**_‘I do.’_ **

_…_

I look down at the rings on my finger, the two slightly scuffed and dull bands I have been carrying around for so long now. I sit down on Kate’s bed, my head in my hands.

_Fuck…_

The bed dips beside me, a hand on my back, rubbing gently. I glance up, seeing Chloe’s gentle and loving blue eyes staring back at me. She seems conflicted as to whether she should be intruding on this moment. I need her here.

‘Sorry.’

Chloe shakes her head, sighing.

‘No need to be sorry, Max. It’s horrible losing someone you care about. The pain never goes away, no matter how long you leave it. Hell, I’m still broken up about losing my dad and that happened when I was around thirteen, way before any of this shit happened. That’s not even considering Rachel…’

_She’s been through as much as I have. We have both been broken and have somehow managed to glue all the pieces back together. The cracks still show though, no matter how well you manage to fix the shattered remains of your life._

I grab her hand, gently squeezing it.

‘Yeah.’

I take the picture of Kate and I out of my bag.

_It seems like a lifetime ago since we took this. It was the first picture we took as an official couple. We both struggled so hard to get to that point. It was hard at first. Kate was conflicted. She had been told for so long that the way she felt about me was wrong. It took a lot to overcome that. I never pushed the issue. I was just happy to spend time with her in whatever way possible. She always used to apologise. ‘Sorry, Max. I’m being selfish. I should be giving you everything I have, but I’m just messing everything up’. She could never mess anything up. She made my life so much better… more than I could ever express in words._

‘Mind if I look at it?’

Chloe points to the slightly crumpled photo in my hand.

‘Go for it.’

She takes the photo from me carefully and examines it. Her eyes roam over the photo, peering in to my previous life, one she wasn’t included in. She breaks out into a small lop-sided smile.

‘Damn, Max. You did good. She sure is a looker.’

_You could say that, yeah. Kate was so beautiful, both inside and out. She didn’t have to even try._

‘Yeah, she was. But she was also really sweet and kind too. That’s what I loved about her the most. Nothing was ever too much trouble for her.’

_So many times she would stop whatever she was doing to help me, even if it was something trivial she always had the time. She was so selfless and… and…_

I let out a shuddery breath, tears begin to well up in my eyes.

‘It’s not fair, is it?’

Chloe shuffles closer to me, placing an arm around me. I lean my head on her shoulder. She places her lips on her forehead.

‘No, it’s not. It never is.’

_Truer words have never been spoken._

We stay like this for what seems like an eternity, just taking a break from all the shit that is going on… a moments respite in the chaos. I hear a bashing sound. I lift my head from Chloe’s shoulder, glancing over at her.

‘Did you hear that?’

She nods.

‘Yes.’

I stash the photo in my bag and we exit the room. We walk down the corridor, checking our surroundings carefully. We make it all the way down the corridor without incident. There doesn’t seem to be anyone around. Chloe looks puzzled, her brow furrowed in confusion.

‘Huh, that was weird.’

‘Yeah.’

Chloe does one last scope of the area, then shrugs.

‘I guess we’d better get going, this place is starting to give me the creeps. That is if you’re ready?’

_I’ve seen enough of this place to last a lifetime._

‘I’m good to go. Let’s get this show on the road.’

Chloe opens the door leading to the stairs. What happens next appears in slow motion. A figure grabs her, grappling with her. She struggles, backing up slowly. Both her and the assailant fall down the stairs. Chloe lands on a piece of iron pipe that is strewn on the floor. It pierces her side, going all the way through. My heart stops. The figure goes to lunge for her, but I get there first. I shoot them in the head and rush to her side. I have never moved so quickly in my life. She looks down at her side then looks up at me confused. Blood trickles from her wound. I cover my hands with my mouth.

‘Max?’

Her voice wavers, her breath heavy. She sounds so scared. I rub my face with my hands, trying to suppress the tears I feel coming. My throat begins to close up, making it hard to breathe.

_Calm down, Max. This is not like before. We can fix this. You need to make sure she doesn’t panic. If she starts moving around too much, it’ll make everything much worse._

I take Chloe’s hand to reassure her.

‘Hold… hold on, Chloe. I’ll get you out of there. I’ll lift on three… one… two… three’

I carefully lift her up off the pipe. She cries out, her face scrunched up in pain.

‘I know it hurts. I know. Just… stay with me, ok?’

‘Yeah…’

She pants heavily, her eyes slightly unfocused. The blood continues to ooze from her wound. I move her top and see the gaping hole. My head spins.

_Fuck. No not again. Not this again._

I inhale sharply. I rummage around in my bag and find a spare shirt. I wrap it around her wound as tight as I can in a vain attempt to stem the bleeding. It’s probably not doing much, but it’s better than nothing.

‘Well done. Now, we need to get you somewhere safe and find some medical supplies.’

I place her arm around me, causing her to curse under her breath, and we slowly make our way down the rest of the stairs. Chloe’s blood drips down onto the floor, leaving a red trail behind us. As we walk, she puts more of her weight on me, her breathing becoming shallower and more laboured. We finally makes it outside, Bongo is visible in the distance.

_Thank dog._

‘Just a little further, ok?’

There is no reply.

‘Chloe…?’

She doesn’t answer. I shake her gently.

‘Chloe!’

Her body slumps against me completely now. She almost falls to the floor, but I manage to catch her and gently guide her to the floor. My mind goes into panic. Tears begin to fall down my cheeks, blurring my vision. I sit there for a moment, staring at her limp body. A memory I have tried to suppress every single day since it happened races to the front of my mind.

…

_Her limp, lifeless body… my hands covered in her blood… her tear streaked face… her dull hazel eyes staring back at me…_

…

My hands and clothes are soaked in Chloe’s blood. I shake Chloe, desperately trying to get a reaction out of her… a groan… a stupid innuendo… anything.

‘Chloe, come on. Say something.’

She remains silent. My body shakes. I grip onto her tightly, hugging her close, praying for something to make her ok again.

_No! Please! Don’t take her from me! Please… I can’t… I can’t lose her…_

‘CHLOE!!!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, isn’t this fun?  
> I need to do more of this tooth-decaying Marshfield, damn it. Why haven’t I done it before now? So, like I said, we’ll have some Chasefield and Marshfield up once this is finished, maybe before depending on my productivity (I’ll probably do Kate first, because of the chronology). I’ll include some of the small memories I already put in this story and expand on them, as well as including new ones too of course. I’ll tell the whole story. I guess it’ll kind of be like a prequel.
> 
> Kate will probably go from somewhere around the time she tried to commit suicide up until the first chapter of this story, so it won’t really be dependent on this story. I’ll be throwing a lot of fluff your way. Victoria will be from the moment Max enters David’s group until somewhere around her first appearance in this. Hers will be a little sadder, it’s still a zombie apocalypse and Max is still broken over Kate, but there shall be fluff. I am so excited to get started on these stories. I might do it from Kate and Victoria’s POV seeing as how this has been almost predominantly from Max’s POV. Variety is good. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this and see you next time. Thanks for reading.


	11. Life is Left Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In her current state, Chloe's mind begins to play back some old memories, one in particular is very vivid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, hope you’re all doing well. Here is the next chapter. I got it done early this time so I thought I’d let ya have it now it’s ready. This chapter takes place before Max and Chloe meet.  
> Enjoy

**Chloe’s POV**

_‘Priceless, come on. I’m not going to wait around for you to get your ass up here forever.’_

_I climb onto the roof. Rachel sits on the edge, looking out over Arcadia._

_‘I’m coming, give me a second.’_

_I finally manage to reach her, perching myself on the edge of the tiles beside her. She smirks at me._

_‘Glad you could finally join me.’_

_She hands me a beer, which I take and begin to consume. The sun is beginning to make its decent in the sky, casting a red haze over the area._

_‘Damn. It’s really pretty up here.’_

_I stare out into the distance, birds circling in the fiery sky, a gently breeze caressing my skin, the tall trees in the forest swaying. Rachel takes a sip of her beer._

_‘Priceless…’_

_I glance over at her._

_‘Yeah?’_

_She runs her finger along the rim of her bottle, refusing to look at me._

_‘It’s good to be here… with you.’_

_Her statement causes my eyes to widen in shock. Rachel never says shit like that. Not that I’m complaining. Recently, she seems to have been a bit more open about things emotionally. She’s just like me, finding it difficult to say all the mushy shit. I offer her a cheeky grin._

_‘You getting all sentimental on me?’_

_Rachel rolls her eyes, pushing my shoulder playfully._

_‘You wish. That is the last time I say anything remotely nice to you.’_

_I laugh._

_‘Sorry. I was just a bit shocked.’_

_Rachel shakes her head, smiling._

_‘Don’t get used to it.’_

_I feel a small content smile forming on my lips. Life is good right now… well as good as it can be. For the first time in a while, I feel happy. I’ve been through enough shit that I deserve a little bit of good karma. I feel an arm around my shoulder. Rachel presses her face close to mine._

_‘Say Cheese.’_

…

I am woken from my dream by a groaning sound and something biting at my neck, teeth nipping at my skin. My eyes spring open in fear. I push whatever is on me onto the floor and grab my knife from under my pillow, ready to strike. I am not prepared for the sight I see before me. Laying there on the floor is a girl with long blonde hair and hazel eyes, which sparkle with mischief. She laughs in delight.

‘Rachel?’

She beams at me. I lower my knife, staring at her in disbelief.

‘You should have seen your face.’

I reach up and touch my neck. It’s wet where Rachel chomped down on it. I think she actually left light teeth marks. I wipe away the saliva with my hand, rubbing my hand on my leg to clean it.

‘Ew, you got your slobber all over me.’

She gets up, brushing herself off and winks at me.

‘Wouldn’t be the first time.’

I roll my eyes at her.

_What the hell is she even doing here?_

‘I haven’t even seen you in, I don’t even know how long.’

Rachel smiles awkwardly, swing her arms gently back and forth.

‘Forty five days. Well, forty six technically. Shall I give you the juicy gossip?’

She’s acting as if nothing happened. As if she didn’t just up and leave one day without me. As if I’ll forgive her immediately for abandoning me.

‘I thought… I thought you were dead.’

She shrugs.

‘Gotta try harder than that to kill me.’

She reaches around her neck and takes off a necklace. She passes it to me. I take it from her and inspect it. The chain has three bullets on it. The one in the middle has Rachel’s name scratched into it along with a number. I run my fingers over the indentations.

_She actually became a firefly._

‘This is so fucking cool.’

I pass it back to her and she puts it back around her neck, fumbling around with the catch.

‘I know, right?’

Once she has finally re-attached the necklace, she scans the area. Her eyes focus on a small corkboard hanging on a peeling off-white wall. There is not much on there, mostly scribbles and graffiti I drew on as a rebellion. There is a single slightly worn, stained and yellowing polaroid of two girls taken before the outbreak. One has long blonde hair, the other with short slightly faded blue hair. Rachel unpins it from the board, staring down at it. A fond smile forms on her lips. She holds up the polaroid for me to see.

‘Priceless, you are such a sentimental sap.’

I walk over to her, snatching the polaroid back violently, glaring at her.

‘I am when people just up and leave without telling me.’

Rachel looks down at her feet and sighs.

‘Chloe, for what it’s worth… I’m sorry. I know I fucked up, but…’

Rachel glances out of the window, rain pelting down onto it, causing a light tapping sound to fill the air.

‘Look, let’s just get out of this place and we can talk more. I don’t think either of us want me to get caught in this place.’

She grabs my pants from the floor and throws them at me.

‘Now, I know you’re happy to see me and all, but put some pants on.’

I shake my head, suppressing a smile.

_As pissed as I am about her bailing on me, I am glad she’s back._

I put on my pants, grab my bag and walk over to the smeared window.

‘Let’s bust this bad boy open and bail.’

…

We scramble through a nearby window, narrowly escaping detection. Rachel pants heavily, putting her hands on her knees, exhaling deeply.

‘That was close.’

I struggle to get my breathing under control.

‘Yeah.’

There is hardly any light here, apart from that cast by passing vehicles on the main street, making it hard to see. I switch on my flashlight, illuminating the space before me. Rachel turns on hers and starts making shadow animals on the wall.

_Of course she would goof off and do this._

I amble over to her, pushing her arm playfully.

‘How old are you?’

Rachel gives me an unimpressed look, her arms crossed, shaking her head at my lack of enthusiasm for her shadow puppet show.

‘That place has turned you into such a downer. Lighten up, girl. I know we don’t have the booze and drugs to keep us going, but we can still goof around and have fun.’

_I don’t remember ever seeing Rachel sober. This will be a novelty._

I sigh, scratching my head.

‘Yeah, sorry. I’m just a bit on edge.’

She offers me a sad smile.

‘I hear that.’

We make our way through the hopefully abandoned mall. Windows and doors are boarded up. Blood smears stain the walls and floor. Graffiti covers the walls, spreading messages of hope and doom in equal measure. Water drips down from the cracks in the ceiling, puddles of water forming on the floor. As we walk across them, splashes reverberate off of the walls in this deserted place.

‘So… what have you been up to while I was away?’

Rachel’s voice cuts through the silence, a voice I have missed hearing so much. A voice that has told me so many things, argued with me, called out my name in so many different ways, laughed at my crappy jokes, told me everything would be fine…. I shove my hands in my pockets.

‘Well, I’ve just been doing what I always do.’

Rachel smirks at me, her eyes lighting up with amusement.

‘What? Looking for trouble?’

‘Hey! I don’t always look for trouble.’

Rachel lets out a small laugh.

‘Uh-huh.’

_She has a point. I do go out of my way to find adventure. It’s not always my fault though. Rachel got us into trouble more times than I can count. In fact, she is definitely more trouble than me._

I kick a small loose piece of rubble. It skims across the floor, causing water to splash as it moves. The sounds reverberate around the area.

‘I nearly got our water guns back.’

Rachel turns to me, a small impressed smile on her face, one eyebrow raised in amazement. 

‘You serious?’

I nod.

‘Yeah. But I my ass got caught. Had to scrub toilets for two weeks.’

She laughs.

‘You need to work on your thief skills, Priceless.’

‘I’d like to see you try.’

‘Maybe I will. Show the amateurs how it’s done.’

We continue through the spookily silent mall, nothing but the sounds of our own footsteps to break it and the occasional teasing comment. Rachel stops abruptly. I almost collide into her, but manage to stop just in time.

‘Hey. Do you think you could tell me when you’re going to stop next time?’

She bends down ignoring me, and picks something up. She presents it to me with a huge grin. It’s a bottle. Rachel shakes it to see if there is anything inside, beaming when she hears a sloshing sound. There is still some liquid inside.

‘We are in luck. Can I borrow that knife of yours?’

She holds out her hand expectantly. I relinquish my knife, which Rachel proceeds to use to prises the top off the bottle. It comes off with a quiet popping sound. She smiles at me victoriously and raises the bottle into the air proudly.

‘Bottoms up.’

She takes a huge swig from the bottle, her face contorting in disgust as she does.

‘Tastes a bit like piss, but it’ll do.’

She thrusts the bottle my way. I snatch it and chug some of the liquid. It burns my throat, causing me to cough violently. Rachel chuckles at me, giving me a pat on the back to ease the coughing. I finally manage to get myself composed again, wiping the liquid from my chin.

‘You were right. This is some nasty ass shit.’

Rachel shrugs.

‘Beggars can’t be choosers.’

I put the top back on the bottle and bring it along with us.

_Never know when you might need a drink, especially in this fucked up world. It’s enough to drive anyone to alcoholism… not that there is much to be had._

We amble down the dilapidated corridor, shops lined up on both sides. Bashed up store signs, shattered glass and abandoned possessions litter the stone floor. Rachel stops abruptly. In front of us is a huge mountain of rubble blocking our path. Several metal pipes stick out of the twisted mess. Rachel and I grab one, pulling it up with all our might, resting it on a large piece of loose concrete. A small gap reveals itself, leading to the other side of the impenetrable wall of debris. Rachel motions towards it, a cheeky grin on her face.

‘Ladies first.’

I roll my eyes at her.

‘I am so gonna beat your ass.’

I get down on my hands and knees, ready to make the journey to the other side. Just as I am about to start crawling through, the whole thing collapses. We both back up quickly, narrowly avoiding getting crushed. The way forward is now blocked off with no way to re-open it. Rachel glances at me.

‘So much for the easy way. Let’s find another way round.’

Both of us wander around, trying to find an opening. I jiggle the handles of doors, with little success. All of the windows for the shops are boarded up tight. I try to prise one of them open with my knife, but it doesn’t work. One of the doors to our right has a small smashed out window at the top.

_I bet one of us could fit through it._

I spin around, trying to find Rachel. Once I spot her, I shout over.

‘Rach!’

She stops what she is doing and comes up behind me.

‘Yeah?’

I point to the window. Rachel follows my finger, smiling when she finally spot the window.

‘Look at you, a real life detective.’

Rachel walks up to the door, peering up at the window.

‘Care to give me a hand?’

‘Sidekick at your service.’

I form a cradle with my hands and stand near the door. Rachel puts her foot in it and I boost her up. She climbs through. After a moment, the door opens slightly, but Rachel is nowhere to be seen. I cautiously enter the store, looking around to find her.

_Where is…?_

‘BLAAHHHRRRR!!!!’

I jump, my heart feeling as if it’ll beat out of my chest. Rachel stands there with a scary clown mask on her face. She lifts it up, giving me a cheeky grin. I push her, nearly making her trip over and fall on her ass.

‘You are such a dick.’

She smirks at me, her eyes dancing with amusement.

‘I scared you good, huh?’

_She always does this, no matter what the circumstances. I should be used to it by now. Even now when the whole world is fucked, she still finds the time and energy to prank me._

I cross my arms, giving her a defiant glare.

‘No way. Chloe Price never gets scared.’

Rachel looks unconvinced by my defence.

‘Oh, come on, Priceless. You were pissing your pants.’

_I was a bit scared, who wouldn’t be in a place like this in the middle of a zombie apocalypse? There is no way I’m giving her the satisfaction of knowing that though._

‘Shut up. You’re just so luck I didn’t mistake you for a zombie and stab you. I still might if you don’t drop it.’

Rachel holds up her hand in defeat, but I have no doubt she will bring this up at a later date. We wander around the derelict store, which is decked out in Halloween stuff. No-one needs Halloween decorations anymore, not now that everything has gone to shit. There is very little space for fun in this new cruel world. On the shelves are several masks. I grab the one closest to me, which happens to be a werewolf.

_Rachel and I always loved Halloween. We used to dress up and just stroll around Arcadia as if we owned the place. We definitely scared the shit out of some drunk arseholes once or twice._

I shove it on my head, trying not to breathe through my nose.

_Mask always smell so gross. I can never keep them on for longer than a few minutes._

I turn back to Rachel, scrunching my hands up to look like claws.

‘That’s such an improvement.’

‘Ouch. Good to see you’re as brutal as ever. You really take no prisoners, do you?’

Rachel giggles.

‘I’m joking. It does look badass. Now roar for me, Priceless.’

I take a deep breath, mustering up my inner wolf.

‘ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!’

Rachel beams at me.

‘Damn, Priceless. Let that animalistic instinct take over. I’m liking this wild side of you.’

As I take off the mask, Rachel cowers in fear. I throw the mask at her as hard as I can and flip her off. Something catches my eye. I go over to a small skull sitting on a purple cushion. Behind it is a cardboard display.

**Skeleseer**

**Ask Skeleseer a question… and shake for your Fortune!**

I pick up the skull, turning it over in my hands to inspect it.

_Huh?_

‘Is Rachel ever going to stop being a complete asswipe?’

‘I heard that!’

I shake the skull vigorously and twist it over to see the answer.  

**I feel it in my bones**

‘Oh, hey there is hope for you yet.’

I place the skull back on the cushion and continue to walk around, taking in all the amazing decorations. All going to waste now. Priorities have changed. I can’t see Rachel anywhere.

_Where has she…?_

A coffin propped up against one of the walls in front of me bursts open, Rachel comes out of it, her arms out-stretched towards me.

‘I vant to suck your blood.’

She sneaks up to me, her teeth bared. I join in on her goofing around, trembling in fear, my eyes wide, my voice high pitched and wavering, my hand posed dramatically on my forehead.

‘Oh no. Whatever am I going to do? I am just some poor defenceless girl. How could I possibly protect myself against this ravenous villain? Somebody save me.’

She keeps coming. I back up away from her, getting out of her reach. My back hits a display cabinet. My face strains from trying not to laugh.

_I had missed this. Just being able to fuck around, even with everything going on now._

Rachel advances, her hand covering her teeth, stalking me. I cower in mock fear, covering my face with my hands. She takes them away from my face, pinning them against the display case, staring deeply into my eyes. She leans in and runs her tongue along part of my neck, causing me to shiver involuntarily. She glance up at me, giving me a lop-sided grin.

‘Now, young lady, I am very thirsty, may I partake?’

I swallow.

_This suddenly turned from a joke to… something completely different._

‘I promise, I won’t hurt you… unless you want me to of course.’

She winks. My words are stuck in my throat. Even after all this time, she still has her claws in me… or maybe teeth in this context. Rachel takes my silence as a sign to continue. She places her lips on my neck, gently kissing it. The contact is too much to handle right now. She knows my vulnerable spots. I move my neck to expose more to her. Her teeth gently graze my skin, causing me to shiver. Her teeth gently nip at my neck, teasing my skin between her teeth. A small content sigh passes from my lips. She peppers kisses all across my neck, focusing on where my pulse lies. She bites harder gently sucking. I try to release myself from her clutches, move my hands and just… Rachel lets go and pulls back, giving me a smug grin.

‘Come on. Let’s get moving.’

I stand there stunned for a moment. She walks over to the door, turning back to me.

‘Are you coming?’

I shake my head to bring myself back.

‘Yeah…’

_What was all that about?_

We exit through another door onto the first floor. A path circles around the shops, overlooking the ground floor. Railing lines the path. Rachel stands over near some of the railing, leaning over it a bit to get a better view. Her eyes focus on something down below. She spins around to face me, an impish smile on her lips.

‘Priceless, I got a great idea.’

She holds a brick in her hands.

_What is she planning? Dare I ask?_

I go over to her, slightly nervous about what she has planned. I am all up for doing crazy shit, but Rachel always pushes the boundaries of crazy.

‘See those cars down there?’

She points to the busted up cars on the ground floor.

‘Yeah.’

‘Red one’s yours. I’ll be blue. We throw bricks. Whoever breaks all the windows to their car wins and gets to ask the loser a question, one they have to answer no matter how embarrassing or invasive.’

_She always finds a way to break stuff. Most people would not want to draw attention to themselves in this position… but I won’t back down from a challenge._

‘You are so destructive, I guess that’s why I like you so much. I’m in.’

She passes me a loose brick, which I take with glee.

‘On three… three!’

I throw my brick, shattering the back windscreen. I race around, picking up bricks and lobbing them at my car. After a few minutes, I hail victorious. I throw my hands in the air.

‘Yes! Brick. Fucking. Master!’

My shout echoes around the empty mall. Rachel shakes her head.

‘You got lucky, Priceless.’

I rub my hands together.

‘Sure. Whatever you say. Anyway, question time.’

Rachel nods.

‘Well, I did say I would, so shoot.’

_So many questions I want to ask… but I only get one. One chance to find out what the hell is going on in her head, to get some answers and explanations as to why she acted the way she did._

I sigh, running a hand through my short blonde hair.

‘Um… ok. Why did you leave without telling me?’

Rachel looks down at her feet, mumbling slightly.

‘Priceless, I was in a weird space. For what it’s worth, I didn’t tell anyone.’

_I don’t care if she told anyone else… why didn’t she tell me?_

My voice comes out less confident than usual. I sound like a scared lost child… I guess I kind of am. My fingers tap nervously against my leg.

‘But… I wasn’t just anyone. Was I?’

Rachel continues not to meet my gaze.

‘No. That’s what made leaving hard.’

_If it was hard to leave me, why would you?_

My eyes start to sting a bit from the tears welling up. I swipe at them violently, refusing to let them fall.

‘Why didn’t you take me with you?’

 Rachel strides off, turning back to face me briefly.

‘I said one question. I answered it. We have to keep moving.’

I sigh and follow her. We walk in silence down dark dingy corridors.

_Still no answers… only more questions._

Rachel suddenly stop. There are some wires and levers on the wall. I assume it’s the power switch.

‘So, turns out this place still has power. They just flip the circuit breaker. All we have to do is flip it back. Care to do the honours?’

She steps aside. I place my hand on the switch.

‘Hella yes. Let there be…’

I flip the switch and the lights turn on. We both continue down the corridor to the end. Rachel puts her hand on the metal double door, ready to move on to whatever comes next.

‘Wait….’

She pauses, turning her head towards me, her eyes questioning me. I run my fingers through my hair.

‘I get what you are trying to do, and… I’m really glad you’re not dead. I mean, I’m glad we’re back together and…’

Rachel sighs, staring at me intently.

‘I didn’t mean it. What I said before I left… I didn’t mean it. I was a complete bitch to you and… I’m sorry.’

‘And you call me a sap?’

Rachel laughs.

‘Bitch, you started it.’

‘That I did.’

The tension from before lifts. We still have things to discuss, but this is a step in the right direction. Rachel turns to me.

‘You ready?’

‘Totally.’

We both push the doors open. As we do, I gasp. There is a small carousel in the middle of the space. It’s all lit up and ready to go.

‘Are you fucking kidding me?’

‘Nope. Go get on.’

I eagerly climb on one of the horses. Rachel presses a button and the carousel starts up. It begins to spin. Rachel hops onto the ride and climbs on a horse beside me. Music gently begins to play, echoing in the empty space. I haven’t been on one of these in ages. I hit my legs against my horse impatiently.

‘Can’t this thing go any faster?’

Rachel laughs at me.

‘Priceless, just enjoy it.’

_I always speed off ahead, not taking too many moments just to sit back and relax. It’s a bad habit of mine. I just keep pressing ahead and regret not having spent more time enjoying the ride._

‘Sorry. I am.’

‘Good.’

After a few minutes, the ride comes to a stop.

‘That was fun while it lasted.’

We get off. Rachel beams at me.

‘I got something else.’

She rummages around in her bag and produces a small tattered book. She clears her throat, flicking through the pages. She stops and starts to read.  

‘What did the triangle say to the circle?’

I try to get a closer look at the cover of the book.

‘Is that what I think it is?’

Rachel grins mischievously at me.

‘You’re so pointless.’

My lips turn upwards into a huge toothy grin.

‘You found another pun book?’

Rachel nods and continues to read.

‘What did the cannibal get when he showed up to the party late?’

I stroke my chin, trying to guess the pun.

‘Umm…’

After a moment I give up.

‘A cold shoulder.’

I haven’t laughed this much since… since before she left. We take it in turns to read out puns. Some of them are so bad, but then isn’t that kind of the point of puns. Rachel passes the book to me. I scan the page and pick out a pun.

‘What’s a pirate’s favourite letter?’

‘Oh, I know this one. Rrrr.’

I shake my head.

‘Nope. ‘Tis the C!’

Rachel doubles over laughing. Once we exhaust this source of entertainment, I place it in my bag and we continue to search around. Rachel grabs my arm, dragging me off.

‘Hey Chloe, that photo booth over there is on. Let’s check it out!’

We race over and get in, closing the curtain. We get positioned and I press the button to start.

**Choose a theme**

**Love, Friends, Cool**

Rachel turns to me.

‘I shall leave this decision in your capable hands.’

_Oh man. Which one? I mean… I don’t know what Rachel and I are or where we stand. Does she…?_

Rachel presses a button. I look over to her. She shrugs.

‘You were taking too long.’

I inspect at the screen and see that Rachel picked the love theme.

_What the hell is that supposed to mean?_

I swallow, trying to put on a teasing voice to hide the nerves and excitement I am feeling due to her choice.

‘You trying to woo me, Rachel?’

Rachel places a hand on my knee, smiling coyly.

‘Oh, I don’t have to try.’

I laugh nervously at her words, turning my face away to hide the blush I am sure is forming on my cheeks.

_It’s times like this when I’m not sure whether she is joking or not._

A few seconds, silly poses and flashes later, we are nearly done. Rachel pulls me in close to her, her arm wrapped around me.

‘Get your ass over here Priceless. We are gonna have one nice photo.’

I feel my cheeks burn, my heart rate increases. Just before the flash goes off, Rachel kisses my cheek. The pictures appear on screen. They look great, but then anything Rachel poses in looks great.

**Share on Facebook?**

‘I wonder if it would actually work. Not that anyone will see of course. Still, for old time’s sakes.’

Rachel jabs the button.

**Print?**

‘Uh… yes.’

She hits another button. The screen begins to load, then cuts out.

**Printer out of order. Retry?**

‘Oh hell no.’

I mash the button. The screen dies. I hit it in frustration… my answer to everything.

‘Fuck you screen!’

Rachel grabs hold of my arm and pulls me out of the booth.

‘Come on. Let’s get out of here.’

_Is she trying to make everything right by doing this? Is she feeling guilty because she left without saying anything? Or…_

I pull back on her pulling.

‘Wait…’

Rachel stops, turning to me with curiosity.

‘Why are you doing all this?’

She lets go of my arm, her brow furrowed in confusion.

‘What do you mean?’

_I am enjoying myself, but I have to know._

I glance down at the floor, my eyes trained on my black boots.

‘Is this like some penance kind of thing for leaving?’

Rachel shakes her head.

‘No. I just wanted to come back and…I have something to tell you.’

My head snaps up at her words.

‘What?’

Rachel worries her lip between her teeth, a hint of uncertainty and worry in her hazel eyes. Her confliction also shows in her body language. She has closed up, her arms crossed, her shoulders slightly hunched over. She looks off into the distance, avoiding my gaze.

‘I’m…transferring.’

The words hit me, stab me like a knife. My heart feels as if it is being ripped out of my chest and torn into a thousand tiny pieces. Her words hang in the air, not registering with me.

_She came back to tell me she is leaving for good?_

‘…’

At my silence, Rachel sighs.

‘I’m supposed to be moving out from here today and…’

I don’t give her a chance to finish. I run.

‘Chloe!’

I keep running.

_No fucking way. She just thought she’d try to get some forgiveness before she leaves again. Fuck that._

I am tackled to the floor, a pain entering my arm as I land on it. I go to get up, but Rachel presses all her weight on me. I lay on my back, trying to struggle away from her, get away from the one person who has hurt me so many times. No more.  

‘Leave me the fuck alone!’

I attempt to throw her off, but this just makes her grip on tighter. She really is much stronger than she looks. Her eyes beg me to listen.

‘Chloe, I’m not finished yet.’

My voice begins to escalate out of control, louder and louder, releasing all this pent up rage and betrayal I have been bottling up ever since she left me.

‘I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear that you are going to fucking leave me forever. I’m sick and fucking tired of people abandoning me. First my dad… now you are doing it again. I AM DONE!!! YOU HEAR ME?! FUCKING DONE!!!!!!!!!’

The silence is pierced by my shouts. Rachel gives me the most heart-breaking look I have ever seen someone give. Her grip on my arms loosens, but I don’t try to get away. Her eyes pin me to the spot.

‘Chloe… I’m not going back.’

The anger inside me begins to dissipate, turning into confusion.

‘What? You just said…’

She stares at me, her hazel eyes pleading with me, begging me to believe her. They show me everything she is feeling right now, unlike before. She isn’t trying to hide anything now, she is laying all her cards on the table. Her hand finds mine, gently playing with it. I don’t stop her.

‘I came to find you to tell you that… I’m running away. I realised that I made a huge fucking mistake leaving you. The biggest one of my life. That’s saying a lot since I have fucked up so many times, you should know that. The fireflies aren’t all they are cracked up to be and I… I missed you.’

I am speechless. Yet another time she has confused me. She offers me a small smile, her long blonde hair slightly dishevelled from our struggle.

‘Priceless… will you come with me? I’m done dicking around and running away from committing to things… committing to you. I know I’ve been an arsehole and given you so many mixed messages, let you down so many times... I didn’t realise how much you meant to me until I left. It made me feel like shit, I guess it was way worse for you.’

She closes her eyes, sighing and gathering her thoughts. Her eyes flicker open, uncertain yet determined.

‘I choose you… if you’ll have me.’

Words don’t come. This is the most sincere and vulnerable I have ever seen her. Her guard is completely down now. I reach up to touch her cheek, tears slowly beginning to fall from my eyes.

‘Don’t go.’

That is all she needs. She reaches down and kisses me tenderly, the gentlest kiss I have ever received. Her tear fall onto my face, mingling with mine. As they run down my face, I feel the warmth they leave as they fall, taste the saltiness of them on my lips. I put everything into that one kiss, trying to make her see how I feel. I grab onto her shirt, pulling her closer, as close as possible.

_I need her to function. The entire time she was MIA, I felt terrible. I couldn’t sleep properly without her there to chase away the nightmare. I lay awake every night, wishing that if I closed my eyes, I would wake up and find out that her leaving had just been a terrible nightmare. It never was._

Rachel breaks away gently, looking down at me, her eyes slightly puffy from crying.

‘Chloe…I…’

Her sentence hangs in the air unfinished. A loud bashing and groaning interrupts us.

‘Shit! Infected! We need to run, now!’

She gets up off of me, hoisting me up and we run. I glance back. I don’t even know how many there are. I count at least five before I focus my attention back on running.

‘Fuck. There are so many of them.’

Rachel grabs onto my hand and pulls me along as we run for our lives.

‘Just… keep running. We can’t let them get to us… not now.’

We race upstairs, bash through doors, dodge their clutches, jump over gaps and barriers that stand in our way, the way to our freedom, to our new life… the life I have been waiting to have for so long. Rachel points up to an open window, uneven, precariously balanced scaffolding leads up to it.

‘Through here.’

She scrambles up to the top. I am close behind her. Just as I am about to reach the top, the scaffolding gives underneath me. I fall to the floor on my back, landing in a puddle, the water splashing around me.

‘Chloe!’

‘I’m ok…’

An infected lunges at me, teeth biting the air, their body pinning me down. I try to desperately to push it off, but it continues to try to get me.

‘Get the fuck off of me!’

The body slumps, a gunshot rings through the air, blood spiralling from its head. I push the body off of me, scrambling back. Rachel stands there, her gun in her slightly shaking hand. She is tackled to the floor by another infected. They skid along the slippery wet floor a good foot or so. She struggles against it as it bares its rotted teeth, ready to rip and tear. I get to my feet, running up to it and stab it several times, finally grabbing it by the head and slitting it’s throat, red blood spurting from the wound. It collapses to the floor, making gurgling noises and writhing as death finally claims it. Rachel back up until she hits a small wall. She pants heavily, eyes wide with fear from the close encounter.

‘I think…I think we got them all.’

_Take that fuckers. You can’t have us._

Rachel begins to smile at me, but it fades very quickly, replaced with utter despair. Her voice wavers.

‘Chloe… your… your arm.’

I look down at my right arm and my heart stops. Blood runs down my forearm from the freshly made bite mark that now sits there, marking my skin. I brush away the blood for it only to be replaced by more oozing from the wound. I frantically wipe at it, trying to make it go away… but it doesn’t.

‘No, no, no, no…’

My throat begins to close up, it’s getting hard to breath. I look over to Rachel, desperately wishing that she will burst out into laughter, telling me this is all a big joke. She doesn’t. All she does is lift up her left hand. A small bite mark drips with lines of red blood. They run down from her hand to her wrist, dripping down her arm onto the floor.

_This isn’t happening… no fucking way is this real._

I place my head in my hands, trying to wake up from this fucking awful nightmare. It has to be a nightmare…. When I open my eyes, I am still here, still bitten.

‘FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKK!!!!’

I kick and hit everything and anything in sight. I smash all that is breakable. I grab a pipe from the floor and bash it against those things I can’t break myself. Hot tears of frustration pour from my cheeks, spilling onto the floor. Rachel just sits there in silence as I lose it, not reacting at all. I throw the pipe as far as I can and slump down beside her, my head resting in my hands.

‘What the fuck are we gonna do? It’s not fair. Why is this world so intent on fucking me over?’

I clench my fists. Rachel’s left hand finds mine, gently teasing it open and holds it tight.

‘I know. It’s not fair, but it never is…’

Rachel looks down at the gun in her right hand. She turns to me, her eyes downcast, her voice low and defeated.

‘The way I see it, we have two options… one, we take the easy way out.’

She waves the gun in the air a bit to demonstrate her point, as if it’s not clear enough already. She places her gun on the floor at her feet.

‘I don’t like this one.’

I wipe my eyes on my arm.

‘Me neither.’

She pauses for a moment before continuing.

‘Two, we wait it out. Fight it.’

_Fight? We don’t have anything left to fight for. We’ve been bitten and we are going to suffer a fate worse than death… what’s the point in fighting the inevitable?_

‘Fight for what?’

Rachel squeeze my hand tighter, gazing deeply into my eyes.

‘There are a million ways we should’ve died before today. And a million ways we can die before tomorrow. But we fight… for every second we get to spend with each other. Whether its two minutes… or two days…. We don’t give that up. I don’t want to give that up. My vote… let’s just wait it out. You know we can… be all poetic and shit and just lose our minds together.’

I rest my forehead against hers.

‘What’s option three?’

Rachel sighs, giving me a quick kiss. She puts her arm around me, resting her head against mine… waiting for the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh the next chapters going to be fun…not. Those of you who have played the game know what’s coming.  
> See you guys next time.


	12. Winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the cold harsh winds of winter begin to blow, Max is on the hunt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who know TLOU’s story, I’ll be changing this chapter up a little bit. I hate this part of the game, as I’m sure a lot of people do. So many disgusting things going on all at once. It wasn’t easy to write. This one will be very heavy, you have been warned.  
> I will sum up what happens briefly in the second half of the chapter in the notes at the end, just in case you can’t finish it.

**Max’s POV**

The bitter wind bites at my skin, the tall snow topped trees dancing as it blows. The ground under my feet crunches, footprints forming as I struggle against the cold. The mountains in the distance stand there ominously and imposingly over me. I shield my eyes from the harsh bright light emitted from the sun, low in the pale blue sky. The small network of streams have frozen over, my foot slipping slightly as I pass over them. A small shuffling is carried along by the wind to my ears. I hold back, remaining still and crouch down behind a tree. A white rabbit with black ears pops its head out of a small hole, cautiously sniffing the air. I load my bow, aiming the point of the arrow at its head. Kate had a rabbit called Alice, in fact it looks a lot like Alice. I sigh, steadying my aim.

_If Kate was here with me now, she’d tell me not to shoot, that we would find something else. Can I really risk it?_

I grip onto my bow tighter. The rabbit ventures out into the cold, it’s ears twitching rapidly. I bite my lip, pulling back the string. The longer I stare, the less inclined I am to shoot. I just hear Kate’s voice, see her hazel eyes pleading with me not to do it, feel her hand on my shoulder gently pulling me back.

_‘Max, we’ll manage. We always do.’_

My arms shake and I grit my teeth.

‘Fuck _._ ’

I lower my bow and let the rabbit pass. It hops away, leaving marks in the snow. I rub my temples.

_I’m such a fucking sap. That kind of thing gets you killed._

I place the bow on my back reluctantly and walk over to Bongo, giving him a stroke.

‘Hey there buddy. No luck this time, but we can’t give up. Not yet.’

Bongo leans into my touch as I tickle under his chin. His white hair is a bit matted. I brush off the worst of the dirt with my fingers, wiping them off on my coat. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a large tawny doe grazing on the green undergrowth poking out through the white blanket of snow. It hasn’t seen me yet.

_You really can’t let this opportunity pass by. This would do nicely for a few days._

I grab Bongo’s reigns and tie them loosely on a branch.

‘Wait here.’

I pursue the doe quietly, tracking its footsteps. I crouch with my bow poised. It wanders off into the distance, completely oblivious to my stalking. I gauge the distances, figuring out the angle I need.  

_I can make that shot. I have to…_

I pull back the string aiming it at the doe and, before I change my mind, I fire. The arrow flies through the air with a low hiss, hitting the doe in the shoulder. A distressed confused noise penetrates the air. The doe runs off frantically, blood dripping from it’s shoulder. I chase after it, following the small red trail it leaves behind. Somehow the doe is still standing.

_Why can’t you just go out quietly and quickly?_

It pauses for a moment, thinking it is free from it’s pursuer. I take a deep breath, aiming again and shoot. It pierces the doe’s neck, but it still races away, letting out more pained cries. I wince at the sound.

_Goddamn it. Got to give it to this doe, it’s fighting for it’s life as hard as it can. It refuses to give up, but then so do I._

The blood trail becomes wider as I follow it, less sporadic.

_It must be nearly dead now._

I climb over a small fence in pursuit of the doe. The trail leads to a decrepit wooden building. I crouch in front of the building, a sense of apprehension building up in me.

_I don’t really want to go in. Who knows what is in there? Then again, what choice do I have? I have to eat._

I cautiously make my way into the building. A lot of the roof has collapsed, the wood rotten from being exposed to the harsh weather conditions. A light sprinkling of snow covers the floor, a trail of crimson blood dotted in the middle.

_Must be the doe… at least I hope so._

I swallow hard, trying to calm my shaky nerves.

‘It’s ok, Max. This place isn’t creepy at all. Just keep pushing through and get that doe.’

My heart races in fear as I sneak through. The floorboards creak under my foot, making me uneasy. I see the exit and fight the urge not to just run straight out of here.

_Can’t draw too much attention to myself, especially if the doe is still alive. I’ve come too far to fail now._

As I exit the building, I see the doe lying there on the floor in a pool of its own blood. I feel like shit for killing it, but I had little choice.

_I guess it’s not much different from eating meat from the store. It’s still been killed, the difference being that you don’t actually kill it yourself. Becoming vegan really feels like an appealing option right now after that horrific chase, not that any of us can afford that now. If you showed me a huge pile of bacon right now, I would most definitely eat it. I’m too hungry for my morals to get in the way. Still, I took no pleasure in that whatsoever._

I approach the doe, it’s large eyes glazed over, staring back at me.

_Funny to think how a few years ago, I would have been shooting this doe in such a different way from now… with my camera. I hate this._

I retrieve the arrows from it’s body, getting ready to haul the carcass back to my hideout. My ears pick up on a slight cracking sound, like someone has stepped on a twig. I listen intently for a few seconds for more sounds.

_It could just be an animal, but it could be an infected… or worse, a living person. They are the ones you really need to be afraid of. The Dead are predictable, the Living… not so much._

I spin around to the source of the noise, bow pulled back ready to kill.

‘Get the fuck out here. I know you’re there.’

A man comes out from behind one of the many trees. He holds a hand up in surrender. He has brown messy hair and an unkempt beard, wearing glasses and a torn black jacket, black pants and a dirty white shirt, a hunting rifle slung over his shoulder.

‘I didn’t mean to scare you. I just want to talk.’

Another blonde haired man comes into view. I raise my bow, putting on the most confident and threatening tone I can manage.

‘Don’t move an inch or one of these arrows will end up through your head!’

I scan the area, looking out for others who may be nearby. I can’t see anyone, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. The first man squints at me, his face showing recognition and shock.

‘Max?’

_What the…? How the hell does he know my name?_

The grip on my bow tightens.

‘How do you know my name?’

I look at the man hard, trying to place the face or voice. My mind clicks into place, memories from Blackwell coming into focus. I lower my bow slightly.

‘Mr Jefferson?’

He smiles at me, his brown eyes lighting up.

‘Oh thank god you’re ok. I was so sure everyone from Blackwell would be dead. I haven’t seen anyone I recognised in so long. I’m glad you managed to make it, Max.’

He takes a step forward. I raise my bow again, aiming right between his eyes.

_You never know what has happened to people in this new world. It changes them… or maybe brings out who they really are._

He falters, holding both hands up, his voice calming and non-threatening.

‘Max, it’s fine. You know me. I won’t hurt you. I promise.’

_I want to believe him, but I’m not sure. Mr Jefferson has always been a huge inspiration for me and he was a cool teacher, but is that enough to let me trust him now? He was pretty mean to Kate when she went to him for help before, even going so far as to blame her. Maybe that was only the tip of the ice berg of the man he really is…_

I point to the other man with my bow.

‘Who’s your friend?’

He stands there, not moving a muscle.

‘I understand that you would be wary given the circumstances, but I have no intentions of causing any harm to you.’

_I can’t just give my trust willingly. I’ve done it before, and people have died because of it._

‘Why are you here?’

He glances down at the doe. My eyes wander there briefly, still feeling like a complete arsehole for putting an end to it’s life. I only linger there for a second before I turn my attention back to Mr Jefferson.

‘Well, I saw the doe on the ground and thought it had been left by a wolf or bear.’

‘It wasn’t.’

He offers me a small smile.

‘I can see that now. Look, I have a group of people who could really use that doe.’

_Don’t we all?_

‘Maybe I do too.’

He contemplates for a moment, closing his eyes in thought.

‘We can trade you for some of it. What do you need?’

_This is my chance to get what I so desperately need._

‘Medicine! Do you have antibiotics?’

My words come out a little more desperately than I had planned, but I have my reasons. He nods.

‘We do.’

A wave of relief washes over me.

‘Back at camp. Max, if you follow us…’

The relief turns to panic and distrust.

_I can’t leave for too long. I’ve already been gone long enough as it is. I have to get back. If I go and it’s a trap…_

I shake my head vigorously, backing up a bit.

‘No, no, I’m not doing that. No way, no how.’

Mr Jefferson shifts his weight and nods. He turns to the other man.

‘Go back and get two bottles of penicillin and a syringe.’

The man nods and runs off. I look at the rifle on his shoulder. It makes me uneasy.

_Some people get really trigger happy… like Chloe…_

My heart sinks at her name. I motion to the gun.

‘Give me that rifle.’

‘Ok.’

He takes it off his shoulder, placing it down on the floor at his feet. I grab it, check it’s loaded, then point it at Mr Jefferson.

_I never thought I’d be pointing a gun at one of the people who got me into photography. Then again, I’ve done a lot of things I didn’t think I’d ever be doing._

Mr Jefferson points to an old building beside us. It is similar to the one I passed through earlier, but more sheltered.

‘We should go in there. There is no point being cold.’

_He has a point._

‘Sure. Bring the doe.’

He drags the doe back into the building and we wait. He sets up a small fire and warms his hands over it. I still hold the gun with my finger on the trigger, but no longer aim it at him. He looks up at me, beaming.

‘I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you again, Max. The thought that you had died…’

He closes his eyes, sighing.

‘Have you seen anyone else from Blackwell?’

I swallow hard.

‘Yeah, I’ve met a few along the way.’

_Not that many of them are still alive anymore. I don’t even want to think about the number of people who have died since the outbreak._

‘Have you seen Kate?’

I glance out into the forest, refusing to look him in the eye.

‘Yeah… she… she didn’t make it.’

Mr Jefferson’s eyes become downcast.

‘I’m sorry, Max. I know she meant a lot to you.’

_That’s the understatement of the century._

‘You could say that.’

He continues hesitantly.

‘Can I… ask how it happened?’

I look down at my feet, reliving the day.

‘When the outbreak happened, we tried to make it out of Arcadia. We nearly did. Then some arsehole shot her and… and…’

_I thought I was over this… obviously not. I guess it’s one of those things you never really heal from. The scars still remain._

I swipe at my eyes.

‘I fucking miss her.’

Mr Jefferson offers me a sad smile.

‘I do too, Max.’

We both sit there in silence, staring at the orange flames of the fire licking the air. I hold my hands over the fire, heating them up. He speaks up again.

‘Are you travelling with anyone at the moment?’

_Why does he want to know? If I say I’m alone, that makes me more vulnerable. I should specify how many people, it might make me an easy target… or make it seem more appealing to follow me back and steal supplies._

I nod.

‘Yeah. I am.’

He rubs his hands together.

‘Good. I wouldn’t want you to be out here on your own. You know, if you wanted you could maybe come and join my group. We have quite a good setup and I would love for you to be there. It’d be nice to have a friendly face. You could bring whoever you are travelling with too. We have sufficient food for months and shelter. The more the merrier.’

I pause.

_I don’t know. It could be a set up. Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but I just can’t help it. As tempting as it is, I should think it over._

‘I’ll have to think about it, discuss with the others.’

Mr Jefferson smiles sympathetically.

‘I understand that. Well, if you change your mind, we are just up river. Follow it all the way down and you’ll find us.’

He points to demonstrate where he means.

‘Thanks.’

He runs his fingers through his hair, which is longer and scruffier than before. I just cut mine short with a knife. Sure, it’s not the best haircut I’ve ever had, but it does the job. You can’t keep it too long, it’ll get stuck in branches and easily grabbed onto by infected and living people.

‘You are more than welcome, Max. I wouldn’t like to think that you are struggling out here. Obviously, you have someone you care about who has gotten hurt.’

The other man comes back, a bag with medicine in clutched in his hands. He passes it to me. I open it and inspect the content. They seem to have made good on their end of the deal. Mr Jefferson goes up to the deer, cutting it up a bit with a rusty knife he keeps on his belt. He moves part of the meat towards me. I wrap it up in a towel I found in one of the houses and shove it in a spare bag. He gives me a charming smile.

‘Just think about the offer, ok? Don’t take too long. Remember, life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.’

_Still quoting John Lennon like the pretentious artist he is. Glad to see some things don’t change._

‘Sure.’

With that, I run to Bongo, attach the meat to his saddle and race back as fast as I can to where I am holed up.

_I’m coming, Chloe._

…

I find the building I set up earlier. I make sure all the doors and windows are closed, give Bongo a quick pet and rush to Chloe’s side. She is laying on the floor, covered in every single blanket I could find and laying on everything comfortable I could lay my hands on. Her breath is visible in the air, spiralling from her mouth. I reach out and touch her cheek. She is so cold.

‘Hey Chloe. I’m back. I promised I would be. I only got a bit of food today, but I got some medicine too.’

I move the blanket from her, causing her to shudder.

_Seeing her like this makes me feel so terrible. Yet another time I couldn’t protect someone. I won’t let her die… no-one else._

‘Sorry. I know it’s cold.’

I lift up her top, revealing the stitched up skin of her stomach where the gaping hole once existed. The stitch isn’t too bad if I do say so myself. It wasn’t the first time I’ve had to do it. I gently run my finger along it, tracing it.

 _I hope it holds._ _Please let it hold._

‘M…Max…’

Her breathy voice makes my heart soar. Her eyes flutter, they are unfocused, but open nonetheless. A huge smile forms on my lips, tears of joy welling up in my eyes. I wipe away a few of the tears and sigh in relief. I feel like laughing and crying at the same time.

_She’s alive. It was a bit dicey, but she is still going. She really is a fighter._

‘Hey there. I’m here.’

She feebly feels around for my hand. I grab hers, squeezing it.

‘How you feeling?’

She coughs, her face scrunched up, her voice hoarse and raspy. She tries to sit up, but gives up after a couple of failed attempts and stern glances from me.

‘If I’m gonna be honest, I feel like shit.’

‘I bet.’

This is the most she has talked in days, which makes me so happy. She muttered a bit in her sleep, but she hasn’t had a conversation with me until now. I take the syringe in my hands, the bottle beside me.

‘Now, this might sting a bit.’

I insert the needle into the bottle and draw some of the liquid out. I push the plunger a bit to remove the air and gently place the needle into Chloe’s wound. She grimaces. I push the life-saving antibiotic out of the syringe, removing it when it’s all gone. I pull her top back down and wrap her up again.

‘There. All done. If I had a lollipop to give you, I would.’

A very slight smile forms on her lips.

‘I’ll settle for a kiss.’

I let out a small tired laugh.

_Even in her life-threatening state, she still thinks about those kind of things._

I press my lips against hers briefly.

‘You get more when you get better.’

‘I’ll make sure to.’

Chloe’s face is pale, but there is a bit of colour slowly returning to her cheeks. Her eyes aren’t quite as bloodshot as they were the first time and they are brighter already. She lays there quietly, I can see something is on her mind. She turns to me.

‘Without you, I know I’d be dead right now. Probably being mauled on by some bear or… maybe even a desperate person… possibly even mauling someone else…’

_I’m sure more than one person in this world has turned to cannibalism. The very thought makes me feel ill. I don’t think I could do it._

She gazes into my eyes, there are slightly more focused now.

‘Max, I don’t know how I can ever repay you for doing this.’

‘I can think of a few ways.’

Chloe smirks weakly.

‘Well, as soon as I’m up to it, you can cash in on the favour.’

Her eyes close again. Her body relaxes and her face is less crumpled up in pain now. The antibiotic must be taking over now. I lay down beside her, my body pressed against hers, my arm draped across her. She moves a bit, trying to get closer, groaning in pain because of it.

‘Don’t move, idiot.’

She gazes into my eyes.

‘But I can’t get close enough to you.’

I take her hand, interlacing our fingers and snuggle up as close to her as possible.

‘Better?’

She smiles.

‘Much.’

…

I hear a creaking sound above us. My eyes open abruptly.

_What the…?_

Chloe sleeps peacefully beside me, her face tranquil, her breathing steady and even. I gently disengage myself from her, grabbing my gun and sneaking upstairs, cautiously looking round. There is nothing further to be heard.

_Strange._

I stay there for a few seconds, listening vigilantly. Nothing. I walk back down to where Chloe is, and am met by a sight I didn’t expect… Mr Jefferson sits there beside her, waiting. When he sees me, he smiles.

‘Max.’

I reach down for my gun, but he gets there first, his gun drawn and pointed at me.

‘Not so fast, Max. Put it down, now.’

_I can’t risk Chloe getting hurt._

I place the gun on the floor.

‘Kick it over here.’

I move it with my foot. He grabs it and places it beside him. I hold my hands up, causing Jefferson to smile.

‘There is no need for that, Max. I said I wasn’t going to hurt you.’

_Like I believe that._

‘Then why are you here?’

He closes his eyes.

‘I had a few things I wanted to tell you.’

_I don’t really care, but it’s not like I have a choice._

He pats the space beside him. I don’t move. He sighs and begins to speak.

‘Meeting up with you again brought back a lot of memories of Arcadia, before the outbreak… especially of Kate. I remember the day she… she tried to jump. I didn’t think she would do that, but then I hadn’t anticipated her behaviour at the party either.’

My brows furrow in confusion.

‘Wait… what do you mean?’

Mr Jefferson has a weird look on his face, a mixture of anger and confusion.

‘She wasn’t supposed to kiss a load of strangers. She wasn’t even supposed to go to that party.’

_What the fuck is he talking about?_

He stares up at me, his brown eyes piercing my blue ones.

‘The video was yet another unforeseen complication. It made everything so much harder. When she came to me, I pushed her away. I was angry at her. So, so angry. She acted out of character, regardless of the reason. I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t stop myself. You have to believe me when I say that.’

His eyes beg me to understand what he is saying.

‘I didn’t think she would try to commit suicide. Had I know, I would have done something, regardless of the cost…’

_This is getting really weird. I don’t like where this is going._

He exhales deeply.

‘The whole thing was a mess. I thought I was doing well, but then that happened and she shut herself off from me.’

_He is really starting to scare me._

‘What… what are you talking about?’

I go to take a step back, but he points his gun at me, his eyes steely, his voice imposing.

‘Don’t even think of moving, Max. I don’t want to have to shoot you. I really don’t. Come sit down near me.’

I have little choice. I sit beside him, but far out of reach. My eyes roam over the gun in his hand.

_If I can get that gun off of him, then I could do something. So long as he has that, it’s too risky._

I glance over to Chloe, still sleeping soundly.

_I could shout, but she might not wake up and then I risk her getting hurt… or worse. I’m not willing to take that risk._

Mr Jefferson stares at me intently, his eyes hard to read.

‘Luckily, you managed to save her, despite all the odds, a service I am grateful that you provided. Had you not been there….’

His face shows distress.

‘Anyway, you were. You built her back up, made sure she was ok... did what I couldn’t.’

His eyes turn dark.

‘But then… then you got close. Very close. It was obvious that there was something going on between the two of you, or at least that there would be soon. She looked at you with such… adoration. She hadn’t even looked at me like that before. I was jealous... so jealous. What did you have that I didn’t?’

_I really don’t like where this is going. I need to find a way out of this. So long as he is talking, I’m fine. As soon as her stops… who knows what will happen?_

He looks at me with equal parts disgust and adoration.

‘Whatever you did, it worked. She became dependent on you. In a scant week, you had managed to achieve more than I had in months… to get someone totally dependent on you for everything.’

He glances down at Chloe as she sleeps. She hasn’t stirred at all. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing to be honest.

‘I was tempted to take you out of the picture…’

He lets out a small maniacal laugh, then his face becomes solemn again.

‘… but I couldn’t. Everyone was on edge already with Kate, there was no way I could do anything without risking getting caught. I just had to sit there and watch you charm her.’

I continue my silence, just keeping eye contact to show I am listening.

_I don’t want to say anything to anger him further._

‘Then one day, I saw a huge shift. The small touches, the whole-hearted laughter, the longing looks…’

His fists clench and his brow furrows in annoyance.

‘You stole her from me, Max. You took her purity and it made me so… livid.’

_P… purity? Holy shit._

‘I had been keeping an eye on both of you for a long time… even after you left Blackwell.’

_I can’t believe what I’m hearing. He was… spying on us?_

I can no longer remain silent. I snarl at him.

‘You fucking creep.’

He shakes his head sombrely.

‘Language please, Max.’

I bite my lip, preventing the words I so desperately want to say to him. I know they would end in immediate death for both Chloe and I. He inhales deeply and continues, this glazed over look in his eyes.

‘The more I studied you, the more I came to realise why Kate was so taken with you. There is something about you. I have no idea what it is, but it draws me to you…. So, I have a proposition for you, one I’m sure you won’t be able to refuse. I want you to come back with me, right now. We can bring Chloe along and get her patched up of course, I’m not a total animal.’

He gets up, taking a step towards me. I scramble away from him, my back hitting the wall. He reaches out and goes to stroke my cheek. I slap his hand away, much to his annoyance.

_If he thinks I’m going to…_

‘No fucking way.’

He sighs.

‘Oh, I think you will.’

He goes back over to Chloe.

‘Don’t you fucking touch her!’

He turns to me, a smug grin on his face.

‘I won’t, so long as you are compliant.’

He knows my weakness, a weakness he is so willing to exploit. He regards Chloe with a look of contempt.

‘There are a lot of accidents in this new world of ours, aren’t there? People die every second. It would be a shame to see Chloe meet an unfortunate end, wouldn’t it?’

_Fuck him._

I look around, trying to find a way to take this creepy motherfucker out.

_I can’t risk Chloe getting hurt… I won’t._

He points at his wrist.

‘Time is ticking, Max. I am a patient man, but even I have my limits. I have waited a long time for this. What’s it going to be?’

Before I have time to answer, a piercing howl of excruciating pain breaks the silence. Blood drips down from his leg, a knife stuck out of it. He looks down at his leg.

‘Why you fucking bitch!’

Chloe glares up at him.

_She must have been pretending to be asleep all this time. Thank dog._

‘Fuck you! You can’t have her you sick fuck!’

He pulls the knife from his leg in one movement, wincing as he does so, and lunges the knife at Chloe. I grab his arm, pulling it back. He struggles against me. I kick him in the ribs, making him recoil, the knife flying out of his hand. He turns his eyes to me, they are full of rage.

‘Fine. If you want to do this the hard way, I am more than happy to oblige.’

He tackles me to the floor, his hands at my throat, restricting my breathing. I scratch at his hands, to little avail. I see Chloe’s knife just out of my reach. I stretch for it, desperately trying to get it, my fingers so close grazing the handle. My vision begins to blur and darken.

_No, this is not how it ends. No way._

He clamps down on my throat, hissing at me.

‘It could have been so easy! All you had to fucking do was come with me! ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS JUST DO WHAT I FUCKING SAID!!!!’

The anger in his eyes fades slightly, his grip slackening enough so that I can actually breath again. I gasp and splutter. His eyes are filled with disappointment.

‘We could have avoided all this, had you just been obedient. It’s your fault, Max… not that it matters. Either way you’re coming with me… even if I have to drag you there. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to. I think now would be a good time to reconsider you answer.’

I hear a gunshot, blood exploding from Mr Jefferson’s arm. He looks down at it shocked and clutches it, giving me enough time to lunge for the knife. He turns back to me, a slight glint of fear in his eyes. I stab him, over and over again, plunge the knife into his neck, his chest, his face… anywhere I can reach. He screams and cries, writhing on the floor, begging me to stop… but I don’t. Blood spurts from his veins, splattering over me. I taste it on my lips, slightly metallic. It nearly makes me gag, but there is little time for that now. His voice is weak now, small gurgling sounds reverberate around the room. Tears flood my vision, dripping down onto the floor, mingling with the fresh red rivers of blood.

‘YOU! CAN’T! HAVE! ME! MOTHERFUCKER!!!!’

Hands pull me back weakly. I struggle against the grip, but they hold on tighter.

_It’s not enough… not after what he did and tried to do._

A low hesitant whisper tickles my ear.

‘Max… stop.’

The knife falls from my hand, the metallic clang it causes as it connects with the floor echoes in the silence. I kneel there, staring down at the desecrated corpse. It doesn’t even look human now, fitting. Chloe gives me an anxious look, gently wiping away some of the blood from my face.

‘It’s ok now.’

I turn to her and hold her tight, sobbing uncontrollably.

‘Chloe he… he tried to…’

She wraps her arms around me, holding me while I cry. She gently stokes my hair, her fingers running through it, calming me down. Her touch always soothes me.

‘I know, Max. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.’

I clutch onto her tightly, my body shaking, warm tears running from my eyes onto her skin. She holds my head, her thumbs rubbing small circles across my cheeks. Chloe kisses my tears away, whispering words to me, words that don’t really register, but calm me anyway.

We are both alive, that’s all that matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been dreading this chapter for so long. At least Jeffershit is no more. 
> 
> Summary for those of you who couldn’t finish read it (so you can continue reading):  
> Jeffershit had a weird obsession with Kate (Dark room stuff didn’t happen, but drugging, video and suicide attempt did. It was some random person who drugged Kate though). He felt like Max stole her away. He basically stalked them, then the creepy obsession extended to Max. He wanted Max to go with him back to his camp and… yeah do whatever creepy shit he had planned, but she refused and he got angry, nearly strangling her to death. Finally, when Max got the chance, with the help of Chloe distracting Jeffershit, she kills him. 
> 
> Remember, if you are affected by any of the themes brought up in this story, I am always here to talk to, even if you are reading this after the story has been completed. I want everyone to feel safe and comfortable.   
> Just pm me/use the forum (fanfiction.net)/comment (AO3) or use Tumblr (nothing-you-can-prove) and I will do whatever I can to make sure you’re ok as soon as I can. I want to deal with these topics responsibly. 
> 
> Stay safe out there, look after yourselves and see you next time.


	13. The Price We Pay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Chloe have almost made it to the Firefly base. After everything that has happened, it didn't seem possible. Will it be everything they expected?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. If you hadn’t seen, I’ve put a link to some part of that audiobook project I’m working on for stories. I’ve done part of the first two chapters of this fic. (https://soundcloud.com/user-892147347/sets/the-last-life-of-us-is-strange). It’s all voice by your truly and maybe you get to hear me sing, you poor people.  
> I’ll also be going back and adding drawings to the stories when I have time, so keep an eye out for that. I’ll be putting everything on Tumblr too, so that might be the best place to keep updated (nothing-you-can-prove.tumblr.com).  
> Enjoy.

**Spring**

We walk through a run-down building, hand in hand, Bongo trailing a way behind us. We thought we’d give him a break, he’s been carrying us for ages and is getting a bit tired. I glance over at Chloe as we walk. She has a smile on her face and seems very relaxed. I can hear her gently hum to herself.

_We’ve been through so much to get here, I just hope it’s all worth it, that they will be able to find a cure and that Chloe and I can get as far away from this all as possible… finally find somewhere to stop running and rest._

Chloe squeezes my hand, bringing me out of my thoughts.

‘How’s it going, Mad Max? You’ve kind of been staring at me for a while.’

_She always worries so much, especially after…_

I scratch my head with my free hand.

_My head is so itchy. I really could do with getting a wash. Let’s hope the fireflies have running water or something._

‘Oh, sorry. I didn’t realise. I was just… thinking. I’m… ok, I guess. Could be better, could be worse. I just want to get this out of the way so I can take you out someplace nice.’

_Someplace nice… I couldn’t do it for Victoria, but I’ll be damned if I don’t do it for Chloe._

Chloe offers me a small smile, her vibrant blue eyes gentle, her voice soft.

‘I hear you. Someplace nice…’

She gently swings her arm, mine following her rhythm.

_Someplace nice where we can learn, love and grow old together. The journey here has been tough, but the result will be worth it. I know it will. I have loved just being able to spend time with her. Even with all the shit that has happened… she’s made it all worth surviving for._

Chloe goes uncharacteristically quiet for a while. Usually in these situations she tries to crack a joke or two, which usually doesn’t go unappreciated.

_Hell, we need to laugh as much as possible after everything that we’ve been through._

She turns to me, a question in her blue eyes.

‘Seriously, where are we gonna go after all this? Not just the immediate future, but… for the long term. I just want to have a basic plan, you know? A rough idea…’

_That’s the real question. We have a few possibilities, which is always a novelty. Choice hasn’t really played much into our journeys so far. It’d be nice to have something planned for once and for it not to go to shit._

I squeeze her hand reassuringly.

‘Well, I know one thing, we’re sticking together.’

Chloe grins at me, gazing deeply into my eyes. Her eyes glisten in the golden sunlight, eyes I have found myself getting lost in so many times.

‘I second that.’

Our footsteps echo through the empty building, the only sound in this place.

_I don’t know whether to be happy about that or worried._

‘Maybe we could go back to Warren’s place… maybe David’s. I hadn’t really thought much beyond getting here if I’m going to be honest. Just… somewhere we can stay safe. I think we deserve it after everything that’s happened.’

Chloe nods in agreement, glancing over to me as we continue through the abandoned building.

‘I agree. It would be nice to just be able to chill. We have plenty of time to think about it properly and we have a few options.’

I look through a cracked window as we pass. A dark green sign in the distance reads: **Hospital**

‘Looks like we are getting close.’

Chloe shakes her head in disbelief.

‘I still can’t believe we made it this far on our own.’

_I can’t really believe it either. If you had told me before that this is what I would be doing with my life, I would have laughed at you. A few years ago, I would have thought I’d have been a struggling artist by now, trying to make my way in the world… with Kate at my side. We’d be living in our little house, maybe we’d have adopted a kid or two… maybe more. Kate loved kids and there were very few times I could deny Kate. She always said the she wanted some, give them the childhood they deserve… the childhood she never had…_

_A few months ago, I would have imagined that by now I would be dragging Victoria to the middle of nowhere, finding some log cabin in the mountains and just living out our days in this new world. I bet we would have ended up arguing all the time like always… and probably had lots of angry make out sessions… among other things. After our fights, we’d have gone outside, laying on a blanket cuddled up, staring up at the midnight sky… just watching the world tear itself apart before us. It wouldn’t matter, because we’d be together._

_It’s funny how things end up turning out. It’s never like you expect… but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing. Sure, I would give anything to have Kate and Victoria back, but unfortunately it’ll never happen. Given all that has happened, my life right now is pretty good, a lot better than I could have hoped for at this point._

I inhale deeply, the fresh air filling my lungs.

‘It is pretty impressive. Just goes to show what a great team we are.’

She gives me a wide toothy grin.

‘That it does.’

_This all seems so… finale. Like when you play a game and you are saying your goodbyes before the huge mission, getting everyone’s thoughts on what has happened, how they are feeling… tying off the loose ends._

As we walk, Chloe speaks up, bringing me out of my thoughts.

‘After all this is done, you’ll have to give me another concert.’

I feel the corners of my lips turn upwards into a smile.

_There is nothing I would like more than to do that. It seems so long ago since we did that… I guess it has been._

‘I’d like that. It’d be nice to just play for a bit, especially since you want to hear. Hey, maybe I could write a song for you at some point.’

Chloe playfully pushes my shoulder, laughing.

‘Nerd alert. You really are a sappy romantic, huh?’

_You could say that. I bet both Kate and Victoria would agree. I know they would._

‘Damn right!’

Chloe chuckles heartily.

‘Ok, Caulfield, you have your challenge, woo me. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.’

‘Challenge accepted.’

Chloe suddenly focuses on something outside. She seems confused for a moment, but then her eyes widen.

‘What the fuck?!’

_I hope it’s nothing bad. We’ve had enough shit happen for some good karma to come our way._

‘What?’

Chloe pulls me along excitedly. I let her, it’s not like I could really stop her anyway.

‘You are not gonna believe this.’

We make our way up the stairs onto the roof of the building. Chloe stops before we get there. Part of the building has been blown apart, a huge gaping hole now present overlooking the rest of the city. Through the hole, reaching in to eat the leaves growing along the brick, is a giraffe. My eyes widen in shock at the sight.

‘Wowser…’

Chloe cautiously walks up to the giraffe. It regards her with an uninterested look, then goes back to chowing down. She touches it’s neck, stroking it gently. She turns to me, a huge beaming grin on her face... a grin I want to see much more of in the future. I will spend every moment trying to get her to smile like that.

‘This is so fucking cool.’

I come up behind her and copy her action. The giraffe’s fur tickles my fingers.

‘I haven’t seen a giraffe in ages and I have never pet one before.’

It begins to walk off into the distance. Chloe races off up to the roof to get a better view, I follow after her. It’s not like I’ll be able to stop her, even if I wanted to. When we make it there, I see a whole group, there must be around eight or so, all majestically walking off into the sunset. The sun frames them in an orange light.

_It would make an amazing picture…_

Chloe leans on the railing overlooking the area, watching them go. I stand beside her, staring off into the distance, my hair gently swaying in the cool breeze.

‘Man, this is… amazeballs.’

I glance over to her. She has a serene smile on her face, gazing our dreamily over the area, her chin resting on her hand.

_She is so happy right now… I can see it in her eyes, her smile, her body language… I never want to see that change._

I look out over to where the giraffes are grouped. One of the straggles behind. The others pause, waiting for it to catch up before continuing… like a real family. Maybe not one tied by blood, but a family none the less. They must have been through some difficult times and yet here they are, still holding strong.

_Just like us. Should we just go? We don’t have to carry through with this. It’s not too late to just turn around and find somewhere to just rest._

‘Chloe…’

‘Hmm.’

She turns her head towards me, a question in her eyes. I take a deep breath and continue.

‘You know, we don’t have to keep going.’

She raises an eyebrow in confusion.

‘What?’

I sigh, my mind running over everything that has happened in the past few months.

_All the things we’ve endured, all the moments we’ve shared, all the times we’ve cried and supported each other… what if something happens when they are trying to make the vaccine? Accidents happen and I can’t risk her getting hurt or… or…_

I shake my head, ridding myself of this thought before it goes somewhere I can’t take. I continue to look out over the scene, watching the giraffes slowly make their way from here… to someplace nice.

‘We can just… get out of here. Forget about this cure thing and… I don’t know…’

Chloe gets off the railing, turning me around to look at her, putting her hands on my shoulder. She gives my shoulders a reassuring squeeze.

‘Max, it’ll be fine. It’ll be over before we know it and then… we’ll be off again. You’re not gonna lose me… and I won’t lose you either.’

I sigh.

‘You’re right. It’s just… I’ve lost too many people and I get worried.’

She gives my shoulders a quick rub, her eyes hold a hint of sadness, but remain determined.

‘I know. So have I… but that ends right now. We get the cure, then there is no more reason to live like this, always worrying. No matter what happens, we’ll work through it together… like we always do.’

Chloe leans in and places her lips on mine, kissing me. I move closer to her, wrapping my arms around her. I grip on tight to her, worried that as soon as I let go that she will disappear. She holds on just as tightly.

_We have both come too far to give what we have up. I won’t let anyone tear us apart… I just hope there is someplace nice left for us._

…

I look down at the map Warren gave me.

**Pass through the East tunnel – there is a huge sign, you can’t miss it… even Max Caulfield can’t.**

I smile at Warren’s note. We make our way down towards the tunnel. We both stop in front of the entrance, standing there. It’s really dark, I can’t really see what’s in there.

_Can’t say that does anything to help the nerves._

Chloe’s hand reaches for mine. I take hers firmly, exhaling deeply in an attempt to prepare myself for this last step in our journey.

‘The last hurdle… we go through here and it should lead us straight to the main firefly base.’

Chloe presses her lips against my hand briefly.

‘It’ll be different this time. They’ll be there. I’m sure of it.’

_We’ll just have to find out._

‘Let’s hope so.’

We look around for a place to tie Bongo up and manage to find somewhere secure and hidden. I stroke his mane, he gazes back at us with his huge brown eyes questioningly. Chloe gives him a final pat.

‘Sorry buddy, you can’t come with us through here. We’ll be back for you soon, ok? We’re just gonna check it out first, see if there is a way to get you through. If all else fails, you can get out of that knot if you pull hard enough.’

We enter the dark tunnel, making sure to avoid any infected we come across. There are quite a few down here, but with some carefully thrown spare bottles and skilful avoidance techniques, with a few close calls, we manage to make our way past with surprising ease.

_It’s nice to have something go our way for once._

Chloe boosts me up on top of an abandoned trailer. I reach down and pull her up behind me. A small opening sits to our right just up ahead. We head on through and come up to a vast body of rapidly flowing water rushing beneath. Chloe stops abruptly, looking over at me sheepishly, her eyes full of fear. She swallows hard.

‘I don’t think those swimming lessons have really prepared me for this.’

_She’s right there. I’m not even sure I could really do much against this._

The water continues to flow at a ridiculously fast pace, pieces of floating debris carried along in the water. I give Chloe a reassuring smile.

‘Don’t worry, I won’t let you drown… well, so long as you promise to make dinner later.’

Chloe shakes her head, smiling. My words seem to have calmed her down slightly. She’s not quite as tense.

‘You drive a hard bargain, but I think I can agree to those terms.’

I gingerly step on the wide metal piping that overlooks the water.

_It’s ok, Max. Nice and steady. We don’t want to take the plunge._

It creaks loudly as I step on it, yet seems to be holding up ok. As I take another cautious step across, the metal under my foot gives way, plunging me into the water. My skin is hit with icy needles, causing me to inhale sharply. I am submerged for a few seconds, then burst out of the water, taking a huge gulp of air.

‘Jeez, it’s so cold.’

Chloe looks down at me worriedly, her anxious voice echoing in the tunnel.

‘You all right down there?’

I grab onto a piece of debris planted in the water to prevent myself from getting carried off by the tide. I wipe the water out of my eyes and turn to her.

‘Apart from being cold and wet, yeah.’

‘There are better ways to get… wet you know.’

_Typical._

‘I am so rolling my eyes at you now.’

Her laughter pierces the air. I lean out, checking where the water flow will take me. There are a few abandoned cars and trucks dotted around in the tunnel, too heavy for the water to carry away. I can see a few ways to re-join Chloe. I shout up to her.

‘I’ll meet you a little way up.’

Chloe nods and makes her way across the pipes, the sound of her footsteps reverberating around the tunnel. I let go of the debris, the current takes me down the water. I manage to grab onto a car which is half submerged and get onto a trailer that leads back up to where Chloe is. She quickly joins me and we continue warily making our way along the piping. There is a gap between the next lot of piping. I jump it with ease and turn back to Chloe. She stands there, looking down at the water apprehensively.  

‘Your turn.’

I hold out my hand, ready to catch her. Chloe bites her lip nervously, her voice hesitant.

‘You’re gonna catch me, right?’

_Of course I will. I always will._

I offer her a cheeky smile.

‘As long as you don’t make any snide remarks in the next thirty seconds or so.’

Chloe laughs, breaking the tension. She still sounds a bit nervous, but definitely more relaxed than before. She inhales deeply, cracking her knuckles.

‘I’ll make sure to save them for afterwards. You’d better be ready for it.’

‘Always.’

Chloe backs up and takes a running jump. She manages to make it easily. I grab onto her hand, pulling her far away from the edge into my arms. She is shaking a bit, but seems fine apart from that. I lean into her, wrapping my arms around her and place my lips next to her ear, whispering.

‘See. I got you.’

Chloe puts a hand on my cheek, placing a gentle kiss on my lips.

‘Yep. You do.’

We continue to make our way down the piping, the sound of our footsteps resounding in the tunnel. Chloe jumps down onto a bus turned on its side and makes her way to the other side. I follow behind her. The bus rocks when I land on it. Chloe looks back at me, frozen in terror. I point frantically to the other side.

‘Shit! Get to the other side!’

Chloe leaps for the ledge on the other side and makes it up. As I run, the bus comes loose, throwing me into the open door, narrowly missing hitting my head. I try to hang onto a metal bar fixed to the bus’s roof, but it breaks under the sudden pressure. The water pressure is too strong for me to fight against and it carries me to the back of the bus. It bashes me against the back, which really hurts. As I gather my bearings, I hear a slight crack above me. I look up and see Chloe has landed on the glass of a back door.

_Shit._

I motion for her to go back to the piping and shout over the sound of rushing water.

‘Chloe, get back over there!’

She shakes her head defiantly.

‘No way, Super Max! I am not letting you get carried off!’

I grab onto the door and pull down. Chloe kicks it, trying to get it unstuck. Suddenly, the door budges and I am submersed underwater again. I kick up off of the bus and my head re-emerges. I see Chloe’s hand reaching down for me. As I reach up, the bus slowly begins to tip, Chloe hangs on for dear life to the side.

‘Chloe! Give me your hand!’

The bus tips considerably, the water pushing it and making it come loose. It turns over, water gushing past the now unrestricted path. Everything is plunged into a watery darkness and silence. I search around desperately for any sign of Chloe… but I don’t see her anywhere. The panic in my body begins to rise.

_Shit! No! I need to get to her, now. She isn’t that strong a swimmer._

I get to the door and swim out of the bus. I search frantically for her. In the distance, I see a figure floating. I squint, trying to see if it’s her.

_It has to be her. It has to…_

I kick off of the side of the bus and move towards her. I grab her and swim faster than I ever have before. My throat starts to burn from the lack of oxygen. I see a light pierce through the water. I swim up to the surface, taking a huge breath and drag Chloe to the edge. She isn’t breathing. I clamber up and start to perform CPR.

‘Come on, Chloe. Now is no time to play dead.’

I vigorously press on her chest, praying for some kind of response. The tears sting my eyes when she doesn’t move.

‘Please…’

‘Hands in the air!’

I don’t even look up. I hear a gun being cocked, but I only have one thing on my mind right now. These arseholes can wait. I lean down to see if I can feel her breathing.

_Fuck!_

I continue. I hear the footsteps coming closer, but I don’t pay them any attention. A sharp pain enters my face and my world fades to black.

…

My eyes open. A ceiling comes into view. I turn to my right and see Nathan staring back at me. When he sees I’m awake, he gets up out of his chair and walks over to me.

‘About fucking time you woke up.’

_Jeez, my head…_

I grab it, trying to stop the dull throbbing. As soon as it has subsided a bit, I take time to scan the area. I don’t see Chloe. I turn my head frantically, ignoring the throbbing. There is only one thing on my mind right now.

‘Where’s Chloe?’

Nathan clasps his hands together.

‘She’s fine.’

I sigh in relief, rubbing at my eyes, tears threatening to fall.

_Thank god. I don’t know what I would do if she got hurt. We made it. I can’t believe it._

The unlikeliness of the situation begins to really hit home. So many times we could have died, but we didn’t. It really has been a miracle. I take a deep breath and compose myself.

_We did it, Chloe. We can go and rest now… go find someplace nice._

I turn to Nathan, who is now tapping his foot on the floor impatiently.

‘I want to see her.’

Nathan shakes his head.

‘You don’t need to worry about her anymore. She isn’t your problem.’

I get up from the bed, walk over to Nathan and size him up, snarling at him. I clench my fists and put on the most threatening expression I can muster.

‘I said… I want to see her.’

He stares me down.

‘You can’t.’

_If he thinks he can stop me from seeing her, he has another thing coming. I am so done with everyone’s bullshit. I just want them to do what they need to do and then Chloe and I are getting the hell out of here and never looking back._

‘Why not?’

Nathan taps his fingers on his leg irritably, his teeth clenched.

‘They’re prepping her for surgery.’

_Surgery?! What the fuck?!_

‘What?!’

Nathan exhales in frustration, his teeth gritted.

‘The doctors tell me that the cordyceps, the growth inside her, has somehow mutated. It’s why she’s immune. Once they remove it, they’ll be able to reverse engineer a vaccine.’

_But… no… that means…_

‘But… but it grows all over her brain…’

The meaning of Nathan’s words hit me. I slowly start to shake my head. My body begins to feel numb, my brain whirring.

_They are not doing that. No way._

‘No, no you… you can’t do this. Find someone else.’

Nathan crosses his arms, looking down at the floor.

‘There is no-one else.’

I push him violently against the wall, his eyes registering shock and a slight hint of fear.

_Good._

I push my arm on his chest, pinning him and shout in his face.

‘Find someone else!!!’

Hands drag me back, letting Nathan free. I struggle against them and throw my head back. I hear a satisfying crunch. The hold on me slackens. A loud click echoes in the small room, something cold is pressed into my back.

‘Turn around… slowly.’

I hold up my hands and do as he says. Nathan points the small gun at me, his face contorted into one of rage. He shakes, his voice spiralling out of control.

‘Don’t make me use this. I will.’

_I am no good to Chloe dead, then there is no hope._

I straighten up. He leans in close to me, snarling.

‘This fucked up world ends now! If I have to play the bad guy, then so be it!’

Nathan signals to another guard.

‘Take her out of here. If she tries anything, shoot her.’

Nathan stalks out of the room. The guard pushes me out of the room, his gun pressed into my back.

‘Move it!’

I walk out of the room. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my bag on the side. I mutter to myself.

‘No-one else.’

The guard presses the gun further into my back.

‘What did you say?’

Anger begins to pulsate through my veins, the only thought on my mind is getting to Chloe.

‘No-one else!’

I elbow his gun upwards and smash him against the wall, pressing his gun into his stomach, using my arm on his neck to keep him from moving. I lean in close.

‘Where is the operating room?’

He doesn’t say anything.

_I don’t have time for this shit._

I shoot him in the leg. He groans in pain, but remains silent. I shoot him again and again… until he talks.

‘Top floor. The far end.’

I let him go and he slides down the wall, leaving a bloody trail. I aim the gun at his head and shoot. I grab my backpack and run through the corridor, never looking back. I hear shouting and gunshots, but I don’t stop… I just keep running.

_I’m coming, Chloe. Hold on._

I burst through doors, dodge bullets, nothing will stop me… nothing. More shouts and gunshots fill the entire place. As I run, I get a few good shots in, bodies falling to the floor, red pools of blood oozing from them. I throw everything I have at them.

_It’s good to see that David’s training is paying off._

Everything seems to go in slow motion as I run, every shot, every shout, every sound…. Nothing can stop me. The only way I’ll be stopping is if I get a bullet in my brain, even then I would fight, fight to see her safe one last time. I make my way to the stairs, blocking off the door to the stairwell to prevent them from following me and run with everything I have. My mind whirs and memories flicker.

_A cold knife against my throat, infected, a sympathetic ear, a broken woman, swimming lessons, teasing, jamming sessions, terrible puns, massages, questionable flirting, dancing, magazines, canned peaches, begging, bad alcohol, dares, stolen kisses, roaming hands, mismatched underwear, whispered names, arranging dates, so many promises, awkward wording, insecure confessions, running away, reassuring words, emotional support, blood… so much blood…_

The long imposing corridor lays before me. So many doors. I decisively ram into a door up ahead.

_Please, let this be it. Let it not be too late…_

As I enter, people in scrubs move back away from a table. They stare at me in disbelief and, when they see the blood, fear creeps into their eyes.

_They should be afraid._

‘Sweet Jesus.’

‘Doctor?’

A man looks at me incredulously.

‘What’re you doing here?’

I ignore him and focus on the table. There lays a woman in a hospital gown, hooked up to a machine. She looks so small and vulnerable like this. The woman I love with all my heart and would do anything to keep alive. I step towards her. As I move towards her, the doctor grabs a scalpel and threatens me with it.

‘I won’t let you take her. This is our future. Think of all the lives we’ll save.’

I take out my gun and shoot him point blank. His assistants gasp and back against the wall. I fire off two more shots, their bodies slide down the wall, leaving a bloody trail. I don’t even feel sorry for them. I walk up to the table and place her arm around my shoulder, getting ready to drag her up. I gently brush a strand of hair from her face.

‘Come on, babe. We’re getting out of here.’

I hear the cocking of a gun from behind me.

‘Stop!’

I turn and see Nathan standing there in the doorway, gun pointed at me, his hands clutching at it in frustration. I back up slightly, not letting go of Chloe.

‘You are not fucking this up! Not after everything I’ve done to get here! Put her back on the table and back the fuck up!’

I place Chloe down on the table, but instead of backing away, I launch myself at Nathan. We collide and end up in a heap on the floor, knocking into some sort of medical equipment. It clatters to the floor with a loud crash. The gun flies out of his reach. I scramble to get it, but he pulls me back and elbows me in the ribs. He gets on top of me and clamps down on my throat. I try to pull his hands off, but he tightens his hold. He is fuming now, shaking uncontrollably with rage. His voice is all over the place as he tightens his grip around my neck. I claw at his hands, but all this does is make him grip tighter. His cold blue eyes full of anger and maybe a slight hint of desperation.

‘You couldn’t just fucking accept it, could you! Do you think I want her to die?! You think I want to be responsible for that! WE HAVE NO FUCKING CHOICE LEFT!!!’

I slowly start to lose consciousness, my vision darkening…

_No… this isn’t how this ends._

I reach up and dig my nails into his face, raking them down his cheek. He howls, recoiling and clutching at the wound. I use this chance to head butt him. He rolls off of me, writhing in pain. I jump up, ready to strike again, but Nathan just lays there, not doing anything.

_What is he…?_

Nathan turns his head to me lethargically, a small trail of blood runs down his cheek where I scratched him. He sighs, his eyes boring into mine.

‘Just do it, ok. Just fucking kill me. It’s all I deserve.’

I pant heavily, my brow furrowed in confusion.

‘What?’

Nathan turns to me, his eyes full of defeat.

‘Do you really think I want to kill her? I don’t.’

He glances over to Chloe, his voice is quiet.

‘I respect her, a lot. Sure, we might not get on all the time, but that isn’t the most important thing in this world. You need to have each other’s backs. She gets it. She really does. Even though we fight, she’s always there. She’s been through a lot of shit, and so have I. I tried to stop them, I tried to make them see another way but… they wouldn’t. You know, I was hoping that you would get here. Come and save her. I didn’t fight hard enough, I failed her and instead became the very thing I was trying to stop.’

_Wait… Nathan doesn’t want to do this? I thought…_

He gives me a sad smile.

‘End this. I’m as good as dead anyway. Once they find out I let you guys go, they’ll kill me. I’d rather you do it. They will hunt me down and find me. There is nothing left for me now, so please…’

‘But…’

He gives me a look of utter defeat and resignation. I have never seen someone look as hopeless as he does now. He shakes his head gently, sighing.

‘No, Max. Please…’

I slowly lift the gun, my hands tremble.

_Can I really do this? I don’t know if I can. I was more than ready to blow his brains out if Chloe was hurt, but she’s fine. He doesn’t want to do this, sure he shouldn’t have gone along with it, but we all find ourselves in strange situations now, ones out of our control._

My finger hovers over the trigger. Nathan closes his eyes, ready for his death.

_I can’t do this._

I lower the gun, Nathan opens his eyes when he realises the bullet hasn’t come. His brow furrows in confusion. He opens his mouth to speak, then closes it when words fail him.

‘Come with us.’

His eyebrows shoot upwards in shock, his voice uncertain.

‘What?’

_There has been enough death here._

‘Come with us. Get out of this place. We have some options to go to, you should come.’

He looks up at me, not seeming to be able to comprehend what is happening.

‘Why? Why would you let me go after everything I’ve done?’

_I just want to stop fighting for my life and get out of here. We’ve all been dragged into this shit, what do we gain by killing each other?_

‘Because there is enough death and destruction in this new world. If we don’t save those who want to help, then what will happen to the rest of us? We are all just scared and scared people do crazy shit. So you fucked up, so have I. I don’t give up though. You can’t either. Someone has to make this world better, why not start with us? Besides, I could probably use some help getting Chloe out of here. She may not look heavy, but looks can be deceiving.’

I offer him a small smile and hold out my hand to him. He stares at it for a few moments, weighing up his options, then takes it. I pull him up off of the floor. He shuffles his foot awkwardly on the floor for a moment.

‘Max, I’m… sorry.’

I wave away his apology.

‘No need. You’re helping us now, right?’

He nods.

‘Yes. I am.’

This notion causes him to smile. I go over to Chloe who is still laying on the operating table.

_If I had been a second later… don’t even think about that._

Nathan holds back a bit, giving me some space, something I’m thankful for. She looks so out of it, her breathing steady and even as she sleeps. At this moment in time, she is dead to the world. I place my hand on her cheek, stroking gently.

_Finally, after all the shit has happened, we made it._

Tears begin to well up in my eyes… tears of relief. I just stare at her for a few moments, allowing myself to see that this is real, that I made it in time, that we are going to be free… that we have a future. I lean in close, kissing her on the cheek. My tears fall onto her skin. I whisper, my voice breaking as I do so.

‘I’m finally taking you someplace nice.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the next chapter is the last. Wow, it’s been a journey so far, huh? Get ready for the fluff. It’ll be a similar sort of thing to what I did for the last chapter of Making Up For Lost Time, obviously not the same, but along those lines, getting some closure and stuff. See you next time.


	14. In Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A choice was made, a price was paid... but it wasn't Chloe.  
> The fate of many was sealed in that moment. Was it the right decision?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello one and all. Drum roll please, I am finally able to present to you the last chapter of this story.  
> Enjoy.

**_“I shall be telling this with a sigh, Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less travelled by, And that made all the difference.”_   **

**\- Robert Frost - The Road Not Taken**

* * *

 

**Summer**

Six years after the initial outbreak, a cure had yet to be discovered. There had been distant rumours of the Fireflies being close to finding a cure, but their numbers were dwindling with each passing day and their main camp had been attacked just a few months ago in the spring. Because of this, most didn’t put stock in the Fireflies.

Many suspected the military having instigated this massacre, attempting to crush their opposition. It wasn’t the first clash between the military and rebel groups and it surely wouldn’t be the last either. While these clashes continued, it would be near impossible to actually search for an effective cure. Everyone was starting to come to terms with the fact that the infected were here to stay and there was no way anyone could outrun the inevitable.

There was a change in the mentality of those who had survived this long. Those in the military quarantine zones realized that no-one here was going to help them, so they would have to help themselves. Many decided to leave, hearing stories of an upstarting settlement run by an ex-military soldier named David Madsen and his wife Joyce from those who brought their wares to the city to trade.

When they reached the settlement, they found a small welcoming community working hard to develop their area into a self-sustainable fortress from infected and other survivors who would compromise their progress, military and raiders included. As more people flocked to this safe haven, bringing with them valuable resources and knowledge, the settlement grew and became one of the largest and safest zones for miles around.

Once a safe zone had been established, their next task had been to clear out the infected and to salvage all possible resources from the surrounding area. Under David’s expert eye, this was done efficiently and effectively with very few casualties. With the area secured, the group were able to focus their efforts and resources on expanding.

The settlement was able to make contact with another group further North, organized primarily by a young man called Warren Graham, and were working to clear the way between their settlements, making a safe and stable route to connect them together. Both groups knew that in order to truly survive, they had to branch out and work together as much as possible.

Among those to have settled in David’s camp were an ex-Firefly and two girls. They seemed to be unlikely company, however they had travelled many miles together to reach this place. They were the only ones who really knew what had happened to the Fireflies base, but this was a secret the three of them would take to their graves and beyond.

Their arrival at the settlement had signalled the start of their new lives. All three had faced hardship. The ex-Firefly left behind a world of conflicting ideals and betrayal, while the girls left behind a trail of heartache and death. Their pasts no longer ruled them and dictated their behaviours. They were free, free to really live.

All three had their demons, many of which they had finally been able to put to bed now their hands were not tied. Some would inevitably remain, however the difference now was that they would never have to deal with them alone as before.

Never again…

The two girls laid on a blanket under a star scattered night sky, watching the world pass them by in silence. The cool breeze caressed their exposed skin, causing the shortest of the pair to shiver. The other noticed this and snuggled up closer, wrapping her arms tightly around the shivering girl and bringing the blanket around them.

Had anyone come upon them lying there completely vulnerable, they may have thought them mad given the state of the world they lived in. What they wouldn’t know was that these two had been to hell and back to earn this moments respite. They had been running and fighting for their lives for so long that both had grown tired. They wanted to rest, to actually live rather than just survive as they had done ever since the outbreak happened six years ago.

They had been on an adventure, one that left a trail of death and destruction in its wake. This had not been their fault. All they had wanted to do was to be left alone in peace, however had not been allowed this. Finally, they had been granted their wish and now were able to just out their remaining days together peacefully.

Gentle touches and tender kisses were exchanged as the two lay there huddled close, transfixed by the shimmering pinpricks of light penetrating the vast darkness. Their lives had been wrought with peril and danger, death waiting for them around every single corner, ready to pounce and catch them unawares… however somehow they had avoided it. Both were thankful to be here together in this moment.

“Max…,”

The taller blonde haired girl’s voice hung in the air, breaking their trance like silence.

“Hmm…”

Max turned her head to the hesitant voice beside her. The blonde girl didn’t speak for a while, but Max laid there patiently. She had all the time in the world to wait now. The stifling, constricting sense of urgency that had forced her hand many a time no longer factored into her life as it had before. For this she was grateful.

Max shifted towards the other girl, resting her head on the girl’s shoulder. She could hear the faint yet definite beating of the girl’s heart. Max closed her eyes, taking in the gentle beats. The sound washed over her, soothing her fears. A few month ago, it had been questionable as to whether it would still be beating.

After a few moments of continued silence, only broken by the occasional rustling of trees in the wind or an animal moving around in the undergrowth.

“What’s up, Chloe?”

Chloe sighed and reached out tentatively for Max’s hand. Even after all this time and everything Max and her had been through, Chloe was so shy when it came to showing affection. She often joked about it hoping Max would take her up on her offers, something Max nearly always did much to Chloe’s delight, however it was rare for Chloe to actually physically make a move. For someone so usually so impulsive, she fell apart and turned into a quivering stuttering wreck around Max… in more ways than one.

Max shook her head at Chloe’s nervousness and firmly grabbed onto her hand, intertwining their fingers. This seemed to ease her worries a bit, her body relaxing. Chloe looked over at Max. Max stared at her with huge blue eyes. The dark circles under her eyes had significantly decreased since they settled down here. It was amazing what a bit of sleep could do. Chloe finally spoke.

“Do you think we’ll ever get back to how things were?”

Max’s face crumpled a little in thought. The entire world had been shaken with the coming of the outbreak. Even if things did recover, it would never be exactly the same. Max shook her head.

“No, I don’t.”

Chloe’s face fell and her grip on Max tightened as she buried her head in the mid length brown hair she’d come to know so well. She had hoped that Max would have some words of encouragement, telling her it was all going to be ok… even if it wasn’t.

“Well thanks for the hope,” Chloe mumbled, her heart feeling heavy in her chest. She knew it had been stupid to ask, she shouldn’t have even bothered.

Max exhaled deeply before lifting Chloe’s chin up and forcing her head up. Chloe refused to look at Max initially, but Max’s persistence ground her down eventually.

“Let me finish. Geez, you are so impatient,” Max playfully chided her.

“It’s part of my charm, right?”

Max offered Chloe a cheeky grin.

“If you say so.”

Chloe nudged Max’s shoulder, a genuine smile forming on her previously downcast face.

“Hey!”

Max turned over to face Chloe, gazing into her mischievous blue eyes.

“The reason it’ll never be the same is because you’re in my life and that’s a very good thing.”

Chloe’s eyes widened a fraction in shock at my words.

“Oh.”

Chloe’s cheeks began to heat up and redden ever so slightly, something Max caught before she had the chance to hide her embarrassment.

“My, my, are we speechless, Ms. Price?”

Chloe covered her face with her hand.

“Shut up,” she mumbled quietly. Max thought it was kind of cute when Chloe acted like this. She always went on the offensive when she didn’t want to show her vulnerability. Max took Chloe’s hand from her face, uncovering her eyes and placed a gentle kiss on the back of Chloe’s palm.

“Make me.”

A playful glint flashed across Max’s eyes, one that sent a small shiver down Chloe’s spine.

“Is that a challenge?”

Max smirked smugly, her tone teasing and coaxing.

“Damn right it is, Price.”

Chloe smiled. It was Max’s turn to offer and her turn to make the move. Chloe moved quickly, her fingers moving to tickle Max. She tried to wriggle away from Chloe’s clutches, but failed miserably.

“Ch…Chloe…s…stop.”

She squirmed under Chloe’s touch, stifling giggles. The resistance only caused Chloe to increase her movements.

“Ah, now look who is in control.”

Just when Max was at her limit, Chloe stopped abruptly and kissed the nape of her neck, pressing her body against Max’s back and hugging her closer.  

“I just like hearing you laugh is all. It makes me happy when you are. Besides, it warmed you up, didn’t it?”

Chloe had to cover her real intentions with a sort of joke matter the situation. Maybe it was just a habit… maybe it was a defence mechanism to make sure she couldn’t get hurt. Whatever the reason behind it, she always did it. Max tried to turn around, but Chloe wouldn’t let her.

“Chloe…”

Max sighed at Chloe’s reluctance to let her see her like this.

“I am happy, because we’re here together.”

Chloe nuzzled into Max’s neck, her breath tickling as she breathed.

“Good then. I’m happy too. That’s a huge understatement. It’s the best I have felt in a long time, and it’s all thanks to you, Max.”

Her voice was little more than a whisper in Max’s ear. Chloe’s tender words made Max smile. Being around Chloe had made her smile more than she had in a long time. Even this thought made her lips quirk upwards into a small smile.

Max began to gently trace the tattoo on Chloe’s right arm. Her index finger slowly worked from Chloe’s shoulder, past the blue butterflies at the top, down the red ribbon, green twisting vine and thorns, circling the red flower connected to a skull and finally settled on the healed up bite mark on Chloe’s forearm. Max could still make out the faint indentations as she ran her fingers over it.

Max wondered with morbid curiosity how it felt to know you had been bitten. She couldn’t imagine how horrible it must have been. As she pondered this Chloe spoke up. Max would’ve missed it if Chloe hadn’t been so close.

“It hurt a lot.”

Max turned her head to face Chloe. Her face was troubled and downcast.

“I bet.”

Those two words nearly got caught in Max’s throat as she said them. Her voice was low and quiet.

“I was so angry that I’d let myself get bit… and absolutely terrified of turning. I always wonder if the people are still in there, just trapped and unable to do anything about it.”

Max had thought about this once or twice since the outbreak began. It was pointless though, as it was highly unlikely anyone would find a cure any time soon. Even the Fireflies had not really known what they were doing. They had just been guessing and hoping for the best. Maybe one day…

“I guess we’ll never know.”

Chloe nodded in agreement.

“Let’s hope not.”

Chloe and Max laid there in silence for a while. They didn’t need to say anything, they just needed to be right here confirming that where they had ended up was actually a reality and not a weird (maybe drug-induced in Chloe’s case) dream. They had both been expecting to wake up in their beds, finding out all that had supposedly happened over the past six years had been little more than a figment of their imagination. At certain points in time, this notion would have been welcomed by both girls.

If you were to ask them now neither would take back their time together, despite all the loss and heartache. While the outbreak had torn them apart, broken them down and taken away everything they knew and everyone they loved, it had inadvertently given them something in return…

… each other.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we are, the end.  
> Well, not quite. We still have the spin off series to go (cue Marshfield and Chasefield), but for the main story we are done.  
> Thank you all so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed the journey and maybe I shall see you in another story.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Two Minutes or Two Days](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5991682) by [ChasingVulpixels](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChasingVulpixels/pseuds/ChasingVulpixels)




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